Case Study: Understanding Internal Logics of Militancy for Taliban Reintegration Strategy

Eugenie Huibonhoa
Jul 9
3 min read

Taliban fighters and tourists spending a Friday in paddle boats on one of the Band-e Amir lakes by William Davis, Bamyan Province, Afghanistan

Case Study: Understanding Internal Logics of Militancy of Taliban Rank-and-File

Context: Research on young Taliban rank-and-file (mujahideen) transitioning from insurgency to governance in Afghanistan.

Goal: Reveal the internal logics (narratives, incentives, and worldviews) that shape decisions to fight and to govern, to inform trust-building reintegration and dialogue strategies, including opportunities for norm negotiation, among Taliban rank-and-file who engage directly with civilians. Why Reintegration?: To support a transition from imposed authority to negotiated, inclusive governance in communities.

Stakeholder Map (Key Groups & Roles)

Young Mujahideen: Transitioning to government roles, maintaining sense of duty.
Local Civilians: Including former supporters of militants. Expect protection, fair governance, service delivery, mutual accountability.
Families of Fighters: Reinforce narratives of sacrifice and legitimacy.
Taliban Leadership: Balances ideological purity and pragmatic governance.
International Donors and Organizations: Frame reintegration priorities, risk imposing norms.

Internal Logics Matrix

Stakeholder	Logic/Narrative	Implication
Young Taliban mujahideen	Jihad as duty, now continuing through governance.	Frame reintegration as evolution of struggle.
Local Civilians	Supported fighters, now expect accountable governance.	Co-design mutual expectations in dialogue.
Families of mujahideen	Sacrifice = heroism; deserve respect and dignity.	Include symbolic recognition and meaningful roles.
Taliban Leadership	Discipline, ideology, control vs. adaptation needs.	Address internal tensions in strategy.
International Donors	Reintegration = civilian life per international norms.	Balance local definitions of freedom and duty.

Key Insights

Reintegration isn’t “returning to civilian life” but renegotiating "duty" in a new context.
Motivations rooted in history: grief, foreign occupation, aspiration for freedom.
Cultural and recreational participation is seen as reclaiming dignity and ownership.
Civilian-combatant divide is blurred by shared suffering. Communication of service delivery should not delineate Taliban from Afghans.
Service delivery is a priority to maintain legitimacy and is an obligation of a mujahideen.
Opportunities present for norm negotiation on women's rights through language of duty to Afghanistan (emphasizing need to engage women as Afghans who need their new services rather than through framework of women's rights or human rights)

Recommendations for Practice

✔️ Center internal logics in program design. ✔️ Facilitate trust-building dialogues that acknowledge shared trauma and local aspirations. ✔️ Frame reintegration, changing norms, as meaningful, dignified role transitions. ✔️ Design flexible, adaptive pathways (e.g. public service roles).

Bibliography

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Eugenie Rodriguez Huibonhoa