Soviet Afghan Insurgency
Humanitarian Issues
Quelling the Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard,
and Amruta Ponugupati
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
I. History of the Soviet-Afghan Insurgency
The Soviet Afghan Insurgency was
centralized in Afghanistan from 1979 through
1989. In a time of great unrest in Afghanistan,
former prime minister Mohammad Daoud Khan
staged a bloodless coup against Mohammed
Zahir Shah in 19731. He established a
republican government as president and
founded the National Revolutionary Party. In
Daoud’s reign, lasting from 1973 to April 1978,
Afghani relations with communist Soviet Union
deteriorate and the government faces opposition
from the People’s Democratic Party of
Afghanistan (PDPA).
The PDPA had experienced turmoil
since its founding and split into two factions.
The Khalq faction was led by Nur Mohammad
Taraki and Hafizullah Amin, while the Parcham
faction was led by Babrak Karmal. The two
distinct factions unite to reclaim Afghanistan2.
On April 27th, 1978 the Saur Revolution begins.
In this, the People’s Democratic Party
assassinates Daoud and seizes power to
establish new government (The Democratic
Republic of Afghanistan) under communist rule
of Nur Muhammad Taraki.
Taraki signs a “friendship treaty” with
the Soviet Union that promises economic and
military assistance, in a sign of communist
solidarity3. He also implements a number of
controversial land reform policies, a significant
factor contributing to the outbreak of the
Afghan Civil War. In February of 1979, the US
ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, is
kidnapped and killed by militants opposing the
government. Later that same year, in
September, Hafizullah Amin overthrows Nur
Muhammad Taraki. The government remains
still in the PDPA regime.
In December of 1979, the Soviet Union
invades Afghanistan with tens of thousands of
troops, prompted by fears that Amin had been
consorting with the United States of America, a
noncommunist country. Amin is killed in the
invasion and Babrak Karmal is installed as
PDPA Soviet-backed leader of Afghanistan4.
The United States of America backs the
insurgent group known as the Mujahideen
rebels, who are fighting against the Soviet
Union and the Democratic Republic of
Afghanistan. Tensions continue to build in
countries relevant to the war at hand. In 1980,
the United States boycotts the Moscow
Olympic Games. The United States
government also places a trade embargo to the
Soviet Union. American congresses increased
additional aid to Afghan Mujahideen groups in
19845. By 1985, as fighting continues, there
are over five million Afghani citizens
displaced, many into Iran and Pakistan or
internally displaced.
By November 1986, Gorbachev, leader
of the Soviet Union at the time, declares
intentions to begin pulling his troops out of
Afghanistan, as no country had made
substantial gains by that time. In September,
1987, Soviet-backed Mohammad Najibullah
replaces Karmal in power of the communist
party of Afghanistan. A new constitution is
adopted and parliamentary elections are held6.
The Geneva Accords are signed by Afghanistan
and Pakistan in April of 1988 that contained
clauses of withdrawal of Soviet troops from
1
4
“Timeline: Soviet War in Afghanistan.” BBC News. February 17,
2009. Accessed October 02, 2016.
2
“People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan” Encyclopedia.com
Accessed October 02, 2016.
"USSR and Afghanistan Sign “friendship Treaty”." History.com.
Accessed October 02, 2016.
3
“The Cold War: Soviet Afghan War.” Soviet Afghanistan War.
Accessed October 02, 2016.
5
“The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 19781980.” Office of the Historian. Accessed October 02, 2016.
6
“The World Factbook: Afghanistan.” Central Intelligence Agency.
Accessed October 02, 2016.
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
Afghanistan and policies of non-interference
and non-intervention. It was witnessed by the
United States and the Soviet Union. Being that
the Mujahideen was not party to the agreement,
the Afghan Civil War continued.
The last Soviet troops withdrew from
Afghanistan by February of 1989. In July of
1989 the Battle of Jalalabad occurs between the
Afghan government and the Mujahideen. A
Mujahideen coup fails in 1990, leading to more
schisms in the PDPA and Mujahideen. In
August of 1991, the Soviet Union collapse and
communist aid to Najibullah ends.
Burhanuddin Rabbani, Mujahideen leader,
takes advantage of resulting chaos in
Afghanistan and takes presidency.7
Afghanistan becomes an Islamic State.
7
“Afghanistan Profile- Timeline.” BBC News. Accessed October 02,
2016
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
III. Humanitarian Issues in Soviet-Afghan Conflict
The Soviet-Afghan War brought many
issues of humanitarian origin. By the end of
the war 850,000 to 1.5 million Afghan civilians
had been killed. Two million Afghans were
internally displaced and six million were
refugees outside the country lines. Between
80,000 and 90,000 Mujahideen fighters were
killed and 75,000 were wounded in action8.
Three major trends seen in humanitarian
issues during the conflict included violations of
women’s rights, violations of human rights, and
massive amounts of displaced peoples. The
United Nations works to resolve these issues
and help the citizens of countries in need.
 Women’s Rights: Women faced
extreme oppression during the war. The
use of rape as a war tactic was common
place for Soviet troops invading
Afghanistan. Women that survived the
assault would return disgraced and
dishonored. Soviet troops would rape
whole villages of women to dishearten
and ruin the Mujahideen fighters9.
Women and children were slaughtered
without a second thought by Soviet
forces. Many of the crimes go largely
unaccounted for. Rapid changes in
government and strict regimes left
women and girls with harsh restrictions.
Before the war, Afghan women had
progressive rights and liberties. After
the war, Taliban Islamic Law would be
applied, as Afghanistan would become
an Islamic state, and women saw a great
majority of their rights banned10. The
Taliban Sharia law sought to ban
8
“Afghanistan 10 Years after Soviet Pull-out.” UNHCR. February 12,
1999. Accessed October 02, 2016.
9
“Casualties and War Crimes in Afghanistan.” Media Monitors
Network. August 11, 2004. Accessed October 02, 2016.
10
“Women in Afghanistan: The Back Story.” Amnesty International
UK. Accessed October 02, 2016.


women from attending school, working,
showing skin in public, and being
involved in politics11.
Human Rights: The Soviet-Afghan war
was rife with human right’s violations.
Violence, destruction, and general
unrest spread throughout Afghanistan
and bordering countries. Invading
troops would slaughter whole villages.
It was a genocide against the Afghan
people12. Hundreds of thousands of
people would die from war induced
deprivation. There was a dire need for
basic essentials (food, water, shelter,
and medical care). The Soviet troops
tried to defeat the Mujahideen forces by
killing and dispersing their support in
the citizens13. The warfare was not
limited to the troops, as the citizens
suffered immensely and saw many of
their basic rights violated in the rapidly
changing regimes.
Displaced Peoples: By the end of the
war there were over seven million
Afghan citizens internally and
externally displaced. Internally
displaced persons are those forced to
flee their home but remain within the
boundaries of their home country.
Refugees, externally displaced persons,
are those who were forced to flee their
country out of fear of war or
persecution. By 1989, there were over
six million Afghan refugees split in
11
“Life as an Afghan Woman” Trust in Education. Accessed October
02, 2016.
12
Kakar, M. Hassan. “The Story of Genocide in Afghanistan.”
University of California Press. 1995. Accessed October 02, 2016.
13
“The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.” The Soviet Invasion of
Afghanistan. Accessed October 02, 2016.
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
Pakistan and Iran14. These countries
were willing to take in refugees but the
large numbers began to put strain on
and cause tensions within the countries.
Many displaced peoples desired to
return to their home country after the
war but lacked money and a home to
return to. Ten years after the conflict,
over 2.6 million Afghans remain
displaced15.
14
Ruiz, Hiram, and Margaret Emery. “Afghanistan’s Refugee Crisis.”
Middle East Research and Information Project. Accessed October 02,
2016.
Questions to Consider:
1. What precedents could the United
Nations set to deal with future large
scale human rights violations in hostile
countries?
2. What issues require intervention and
which are a product of culture? Is it fair
to base interventions on western
perceptions of other cultures?
3. During a crisis, what can the United
Nations do to keep peace and aid
citizens, both externally and internally
displaced, whilst maintaining
sovereignty for all countries involved?
15
“Afghanistan 10 Years after Soviet Pull-out.” UNHCR. February 12,
1999. Accessed October 02, 2016
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
IV. Quelling the Insurgency and History of Soviet Afghan Insurgency
Relations between Soviet Union and
Afghanistan
The Soviet Union was considered an
influential powerhouse in the 1950’s, with their
expansionist foreign policy affecting many of
their neighboring countries. Afghanistan has
always been a country that has enjoyed
assistance from the Soviet Union. They were
supported by the Democratic Party of
Afghanistan (PDPA), founded in 1965 upon
Marxist ideology, where they received active
military training from the Soviet soldiers. 16 As
a predominately religious country based on
liberal ideas, Afghanistan faced peaceful times
during the exposition of the 1970’s. However,
the involvement with the USSR sparked a
bloodless revolution in 1973, where
Mohammed Daud, the former Prime Minister,
seized power in a coup from the deposed King
Zahir, and declared a new republic to be
created. His new republic established a
presidency that focused on reform. 17 By
promoting equality of women and the idea of
secularism in a permeated Afghan culture, he
received hostile accusations from the Soviet
Union.
Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet Union
Prime Minister, criticized Daoud for having
been influenced by Western countries.
Brezhnev complained that the number of
experts from NATO countries working in
Afghanistan in bilateral ventures, as well as in
the UN and other multilateral aid projects had
considerably increased.18 These ideals
pressured the Soviet Union as it damaged the
Brezhnev doctrine, the idea that the Soviet
Union obtained the omnipotent right to
interfere in the affairs of Communist countries
as an effort to strengthen Communism. This
geopolitical conflict created extreme tension in
the region, and Afghanistan sought innovative
ways to quell reliance from political and social
relations from the Soviet Union.
Conflict and Saur Revolution
The Saur Revolution occurred as one of
the bloodiest, darkest revolutions that
underscored the disastrous effects of the Cold
War. On April 28, 1978, rogue miltants
assassinated Preisdennt Mohammed Daoud and
his family, who were once strong supporters of
the Soviet Government.19 Echoed throughout
the streets of Kabul and much of Afghanistan,
the new regime would be one ruled by
Communist terror. The Democratic Republic of
Afghanistan (DRA), claimed to be the savior of
the people, was a corrupt organization riddled
with communist beliefs and conflicting
factions.20 Under the presidency of Nur
Mohamed Taraki, they began to exhibit strong
influence over the entirety of the country. The
DRA affected social, cultural, and economical
structures in Afghanistan, which caused overall
dissent from the inhabitants of the country.
They instituted a money lending system that
created corrupt, financial instability. Moreover,
they declared equality of the sexes, which
16
18
"Milestones: 1977–1980 - Office of the Historian."
Office of the Historian. Accessed October 15, 2016.
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/sovietinvasion-afghanistan.
17
News, BBC. "Afghanistan Profile - Timeline." BBC
News. September 22, 2016. Accessed October 15, 2016.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253.
Ghaus, Samad. "The Fall of Afghanistan." Daud
Meeting with Brezhnev. Accessed October 15, 2016.
http://afghana.com/SocietyAndCulture/DaudMeeting.ht
m.
19
Ibid.
20
Ibid.
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
challenged traditional Islamic religious beliefs.
21
Recent Years and Mujhadeen
USSR and Afghanistan officially
entered a peace treaty in 1978, as an effort to
increase Soviet popularity in the region. They
created many new rules, the most prominent
being a clause that allowed for the support of
the policies instigated in the Saur Revolution.
22
They also would reinstitute providing
economic and military assistance to the
Afghani government. As peace was supposedly
achieved, the treaty was met with unsatisfied
opposition. The Heart Uprising, a series of
demonstrators that led violent attacks, affected
Afghan-Soviet relations significantly. In March
1979, a new revolution occurred under
Hafizullah Amin. He was characterized a
tyrannical communist, who committed
numerous human right violations and purges.
He called for Soviet aid, and although
distrustful of his passionate views, they realized
losing Afghanistan to Western countries was
too crucial to overlook. Moreover, a prevalent
situation arrived that posed many problems for
the government: Mujhadeen.
The Mujahedeen were a group of
Muslim guerilla fighters, who fought against
loosely aligned anti-Soviet opposition troops.
They were traditionally regional warlords who
fought internally as disorganized people. As
warfare became more sophisticated, outside
support and regional coordination grew. Many
Muslims from other countries assisted the
various mujahideen groups in Afghanistan.
They rebelled against the DRA and Soviet
Union. The decentralized nature of the
21
The Intervention in Afghanistan and the Fall of
Detente: A Chronology. George Washington University.
National Security Archive.
22
"USSR and Afghanistan Sign “friendship Treaty”."
History.com. Accessed October 15, 2016.
Mujhadeen exemplified the problems in
Afghanistan, showing a disarray of power and
public policy. It is the job of the committee to
decide how to act further with the Mujhadeen,
and their growing influence creates an unclear
future for the world as a whole.
Current Status and Future Decisions
With talk s of foreign involvement in
Afghanistan, the Soviet Union was in
calculated silence as they decided if they
should make an influential move in the
geopolitical world. The loss of Afghanistan to
Western countries would hurt the honor of the
USSR. Soviet Union was also confident that by
taking action they would be able to stabilize the
government of Afghanistan and establish a
Communist regime there. 23
Invasion occurred in December 20,
1979, with the dispatching of the 40th army of
the Soviet Union invaded the country. They
were unaware of the DRA’s inability to handle
guerilla warfare, an attribute known to the
Mujhadeen. The current situation is the arrival
of USSR troops in Kabul, which is riddled with
resistance from the Mujhadeen. They are
armored with outdated military weapons, but
have the ability to obtain more sophisticated
weapons. Many foreign countries have also
questioned influence in the region, and may be
looking to intervene as well. It is the job of the
committee to calm tensions in Afghanistan and
find a diplomatic approach to end the war in a
peaceful matter.
Questions to Consider:
 What are some short-term and longterm solutions that could be utilized to
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ussr-andafghanistan-sign-friendship-treaty.
23
Kalinovsky, Artemy. "Decision-Making and the Soviet
War in Afghanistan: From Intervention to Withdrawal."
Journal of Cold War Studies 11, no. 4 (2009): 46-73.
doi:10.1162/jcws.2009.11.4.46.
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference

stabilized the rampant Afghani
government from going into disarray?
Using knowledge of previous history in
the region, how can foreign intervention
and new policies play an impact in the
forthcoming conflicts in Afghanistan?

Are there any actions that your delegate
can do to influence political affairs in
the region?
What actions can be taken to prevent
future conflicts from ever happening
again?
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
IV. Extra Sources
"USSR and Afghanistan Sign “friendship Treaty”." History.com. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ussr-and-afghanistan-sign-friendship-treaty.
"The Cold War: Soviet Afghan War." Soviet Afghanistan War. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://www.ducksters.com/history/cold_war/soviet_afghanistan_war.php.
"Timeline: Soviet War in Afghanistan." BBC News. February 17, 2009. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7883532.stm.
"Afghanistan Profile - Timeline." BBC News. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12024253.
"People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan." Encyclopedia.com. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3424602151.html.
"The World Factbook: Afghanistan." Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed October 02, 2016.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/af.html.
"The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 1978–1980." Office of the Historian.
Accessed October 02, 2016. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1977-1980/soviet-invasionafghanistan.
"Women in Afghanistan: The Back Story." Amnesty International UK. Accessed October 02, 2016.
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/womens-rights-afghanistan-history.
Shelton, Steven Malik. "Casualties and War Crimes in Afghanistan." Media Monitors Network.
August 11, 2004. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://www.usa.mediamonitors.net/Headlines/Casualties-and-War-Crimes-in-Afghanistan.
Kakar, M. Hassan. "The Story of Genocide in Afghanistan." University of California Press. 1995.
Accessed October 02, 2016. http://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft7b69p12h.
"The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan." The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Accessed October 02,
2016. http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/Baker_00/2002-p4/baker_p4_12-01_mj_sz/.
"Afghanistan 10 Years after Soviet Pull-out." UNHCR. February 12, 1999. Accessed October 02,
2016. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=3ae6b81cf0&query=Return
to Afghanistan.
Ruiz, Hiram, and Margaret Emery. "Afghanistan's Refugee Crisis." Middle East Research and
Information Project. Accessed October 02, 2016. http://www.merip.org/mero/mero092401.
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.
SIMUNC 2016
Issue Brief for Soviet Afghan Insurgency
By: Ansh Patel, McKenna Gillard, and
Amruta Ponugupati
Student Invitational Model United Nations Conference
"Life as an Afghan Woman." Trust in Education. Accessed October 02, 2016.
http://www.trustineducation.org/resources/life-as-an-afghan-woman/.
Copyright © Student Invitational Model United Nations. All rights reserved.