an Eldis Resource
The limits of statebuiliding: the role of international assistance in Afghanistan
Beyond the “critical mass” approach of international aid in Afghanistan
Authors:
A. Suhrke
Publisher:
Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway, 2006
In Afghanistan, with previous state structures destroyed or neglected, the internationally assisted reconstruction program launched after the American-led intervention in November 2001 placed state building at its core. The central argument of this paper is that the tensions and conflicts involved in state formation are intensified when the process of change becomes state building that is heavily dependent upon external economic, political and military support.
Key points made:
- International aid programs in Afghanistan have affected conflicts associated with the modernization program, particularly as they concern the legitimacy, accountability and sustainability of the enterprise.
- The government’s extreme dependence on foreign troops and funding also signalled its own weakness, thereby encouraging potential supporters to hedge their commitment, or the commitment only lasted as long as the quid pro quo was forthcoming
- In a nationalist perspective, extreme dependence undermined the legitimacy of the government and made it an easy target for genuine or manipulated protest
- The author questions the “critical mass argument” implicit in the present policy response and much of the policy-related literature on Afghanistan. That argument essentially calls for more of the same – more aid flows, more international troops and stronger political commitment – in order to reach a level sufficient to effectively address the mounting problems of state building and reconstruction.
- This logic is fallacious as it fails to recognize that international assistance also has negative and contradictory effects and to some extent is part of the problem.
- The alternative to a “critical mass” approach is to explore opposite directions. This would above all mean reducing the pace and comprehensive scope of the modernization project, thereby reducing the pressures it generates.
- Addressing underlying sources of discontent in the short run would mean different approaches to deal with rising inequalities and persistent poverty. Most obvious and radical would be a decision to legalize and tax poppy cultivation.
- To examine such changes in more detail, however, requires a more systematic, critical approach towards current policies than is presently evident in either the literature or policy circles.
