The Challenges to Nation-Building

in Afghanistan continues...

Economically speaking, Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries . Classified as one of the least developed countries, landlocked Afghanistan never had a modern integrated economy. Although the mountainous nature of the country has been an obstacle to national economic integration, the predominant factors for Afghanistan not being able to come out of the broken-backed state are political instabilities, cultural rigidities, civil wars and foreign interventions. Many years of war and political instability have left the country in ruins, and dependent on foreign aid. Centuries ago Afghanistan was part of an ancient trade route that supplied the West with spices, rich silks and other goods. Although the importance of this trade route has since diminished, the country’s impoverished people still cling

to trade as a means of survival. Battered by two decades of war and political in-fighting, Afghanistan has had little else to depend on.

The economic dimensions of intra-state armed conflicts have been an under explored aspect of conflict research and policy design. War economies pose substantial challenge for sustainable peace and development. Hence, as rightly pointed out by Pugh, Cooper and Goodhand, “the political economy of regional conflict complexes need to be properly addressed otherwise the neglect has left many war-torn states vulnerable to continued instability and poverty.

To be continued...