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KABUL – Afghan Vice President Abdurrashid Dostum – a controversial figure who lived in exile for more than a year due to sexual assault – returned Sunday to a warm welcome from the government but his legal problems killed 14 people reflects the potential problems ahead.
After the arrival of his plane from Turkey, senior officials of the administration of President Ashraf Ghani – with a crowd of supporters – have greeted Dostum on the tarmac at the Kabul International Airport , applauding as he disembarked and headed for a waiting car. Moments after leaving the airport, a bomb exploded, killing 14 people and injuring 60 near the entrance – an incident that, without harming Dostum, showed the intense feelings that his return brings.
"I greet all Afghans" Dostum later said during a ceremony held at his office in Kabul where he vowed to help Afghanistan find a way out of his war of 17 years. "
"Me, the First Vice President contemplates peace with the Taliban" Dostum "- a general of the Afghan civil war known for his vicious and mercurial behavior while he ruled over the northern border region for 30 years "Rs – s" returned to Turkey after a political rival accused the vice president in 2016 of having beaten him, imprisoned him for two days and ordered his rape.
Dostum , in the center, arrives at Kabul International Airport on Sunday. (Rahmat Gul / AP)
A wave of demonstrations that claim the return of Dostum has crossed the north of the Af in recent weeks, shutting down local government offices, threatening stability in this part of the country. The rallies grew after Afghan soldiers arrested a Dostum political protégé in Faryab province – district police chief Nizamuddin Qaisari – for threatening to kill government officials.
Last week, a video showing Afghan soldiers kicking injured and handcuffed Qaisari bodyguards after a brief battle leading to arrest added even more fuel to the fire .
Ghani the law of his wobbly government, arranged for Dostum to resume his role as senior vice president while facing the charges against him
A wounded man lies on the ground at the site of an explosion in Kabul Sunday. (Omar Sobhani / Reuters)
Repeating Dostum's excuse last year that he had flown to Turkey for "medical treatment," Ghani's office said in a statement that "the treatment is now over" and that the warrior The politician who is a heartbeat away from the presidency is ready to resume his duties.
Dostum, a heavy drinker, has had liver problems in the past.
"Legal issues are related to justice and judicial institutions" spokesman Haroon Chakhansuri said. "They are independent in their work and will handle all matters in accordance with the law."
His supporters in the northern provinces celebrated on the streets as he heard the news of his return.
Nasrullah Makhdoom Zada, a Council member in Jowzjan province whom Dostum calls home, said the return of the "general" would mean greater security for the region. "The Taliban and Daesh will be lost in the north," said Makhdoom, using the Arabic term. Haris Wadan, an Afghan journalist based in the north of the country, said that there would likely be new energy behind the candidates of the Dostum National Islamic Movement party in Afghanistan in the October legislative elections.
"These demonstrations illustrated that Dostum" What matters to Ghani is uncertain. "
While potentially restoring stability in northern Afghanistan, the renewed alliance could backfire against him. Dostum – who allegedly ordered tanks to hunt hundreds of Taliban prisoners in sealed truck containers – could ignore the accusations against him and continue to act with impunity.
This would embarrass Ghani , who faced a similar problem last year when fired Atta Mohammad Noor, a provincial governor of the northern province of Balkh who ran this region as his own stronghold, only to see Noor continue to function as a governor of the shadow., known to change allegiance to advance his own goals, could also turn politically against Ghani, e n Damaging the president's prospects for another term by siphoning off votes in next year's elections.
Shortly after fled to Turkey, Dostum Ghani's administration – joined Noor and Mohammed Mohaqeq, an ethnic Hazara leader, to form "The Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan", a group rooted in Dostum then attempted to return to Afghanistan via Mazar-e Sharif in the north, but the Ghani administration ordered that his plane be diverted
"Ghani is really between" Michael Kugelman , a senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center in Washington. "
" On the one hand, he wants to demonstrate to the international community that he is taking the rule of law and Corruption is a serious matter and it is going to ensure that an appropriate investigation will be conducted and that efforts will be made to bring Dostum to justice if necessary, "said Kugelman." On the other hand, it is very suspicious, I think, of the possibility that the return of Dostum could cause more volatility in a country that already knows a lot. "
Dostum is back from exile before.
In 2009, former President Hamid Karzai forced Dostum to go to Turkey for allegations that he allegedly beat, abducted and ordered the sexual assault of another political rival, Akbar Bai. .
He was allowed to return a few weeks before this year's election.
On Sunday, Ghani made Dostum feel welcome.
Before his arrival, billboards depicting the Vice President's face were installed along the roads leading from the airport to his mansion. Kabul
During his national televised speech, Dostum said that he enjoyed the warm welcome, but, in a sign of future tension, said that he believes that the arrest Qaisari's "was not a fair move." Tum supporters traveled to Kabul from the provinces of Faryab and Jazwan to greet the gruff and effusive leader, joining a crowd of people right outside the airport entrance.
However, their joy has darkened when a bomb exploded near the entrance to the airport.
Kabul police said that in addition to 14 people killed – some of whom were security forces to protect Dostum – 60 people were injured.
Scott Worden, director of Afghanistan and Central Asia programs at Peace, says the return of Dostum is "a risk and a reward" for Ghani.
While Dostum could still help secure the Uzbek vote, the allegations against him could weigh on the president, which could prompt Ghani to seek another candidate for vice-presidency.
"You do not want to have it against you, but, at the same time, there are certain responsibilities to have with you because of the criminal allegations," Worden said. In 2016, Ahmad Ishchi, former provincial governor of Faryab, often disagreeing with Dostum, publicly accused the vice president of having beaten him, then ordered his abduction for two days in an undisclosed location, where Ishchi says have been raped. Dostum denied these accusations, calling them a political conspiracy against him.
Ishchi said that he was looking forward to seeing Dostum finally be brought to justice.
But, given the political stakes for Ghani, Ishchi said that he suspected the Afghan justice system could still tip the way to Dostum
"If the judicial organizations do not maintain the & 90 1965 1965 [[[[196519651965impartialitywewilltakeourcasetointernationalcourts"saidIshchi"Wewillcontinueourfightforjustice"
Sayed Sahaluddin contributed to this report.
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