Afghanistan's parliamentary and provincial election campaign started on 17 August, amid a worsening security situation, according to the UN Secretary-General. . On the day that the election campaign started, 8 people were killed in a gunfight in the western province of Nimroz.

Over 60,000 combatants have been disarmed and demobilised by Afghanistan's New Beginnings Programme (ANBP) between October 2003 and July 2005, with almost 40,000 weapons collected. But an estimated 1,800 illegal armed groups remain active.

70% of Afghans have experienced conflict-related crimes, according to a survey conducted by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in 2004.

Although electoral law disqualifies candidates who currently belong to armed groups, a report by the Afghanistan Justice Project presents evidence that a number of candidates have committed war crimes.

More information:
Afghanistan: Gunmen Have Elections in Their Sights
Special report by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Small Arms and Human Security in Central Asia,
Bulletin from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue