Qush Tepe on the verge of demographic change; Taliban hand over land to Kuchis in the area.
Newly released documents show that the Taliban are trying to relocate Kuchis to lands around the strategic Qush Tepe canal, a move that has raised fears of ethnic tensions and the gradual elimination of the indigenous population.
In an official meeting attended by Taliban officials, the Kuchis demanded a specific share of the land around the Qush Tepe canal, employment opportunities in government departments, and mobile medical services for their livestock. They have emphasized that they deserve more privileges from the Taliban due to their role in the “jihad against America.”
These demands were made while there were previous reports of land being handed over to relatives of Taliban officials in Laghman.
Local activists warn that this is part of an organized policy to change the demographic makeup of northern Afghanistan. In recent years, Taliban-backed nomads have clashed with locals in central and northern provinces, in some cases resulting in violence, beatings and even murder.
