Four Part
Writer: Ismail Yaqoobi
After Dostum consolidated his position in northern Afghanistan and transformed the 53rd Infantry Division into an effective tool in his hands, his bitter reality and blatant crimes became increasingly clear to the Afghan people.
Dostum, who held regional power under the comprehensive support of the occupying Soviets and their militias, played a key role in suppressing innocent people and the Mujahideen of the north of the country – those who had risen up to end the occupation and shorten the hand of oppression and crime over this nation.
The cities, districts, and even remote villages of Jawzjan, Faryab, and Balkh had become scenes of terror and brutality for Dostum and his heartless men. Multiple reports indicate that Dostum ordered his mercenaries to carry out summary executions, torture, and forced displacement of people.
During this time, when a shadow darker than the Soviets – Dostum – fell over this nation, many local residents were forced to leave their homes and land, becoming displaced to other regions and even neighboring countries.
Immigrants who still haven’t forgotten the bitter memories of that time live day and night with the pain of losing their homes and loved ones, and the effects of the terror and fear of that era are still evident in their behavior and mindset.
Dostum’s actions during this period were not only a local suppression but also part of the Soviet Union’s broader policy of silencing protests against foreign intervention in northern Afghanistan. As Moscow’s main arm and loyal mercenary, he became the executor of every military and strategic order from the Red Army, and with the use of massive weapons and budgets, he was able to gain complete control over the northern communication routes and strategic centers.
It wasn’t long before his cruelty became the talk of the town; even those who had not cooperated with the communist government from the beginning were not spared from his violence. Many families fell victim to night attacks, extortion, and looting by their own friends, and cities and villages were under intense pressure and terror.
During this period, Dostum not only became a military commander but also a vital pawn in Soviet occupation policies and a solid foundation for its shaky puppet government – a government created not on the will and desire of the nation, but to implement the sinister plans of the Soviet occupiers in this land.
His loyalty to the Soviets was so evident that even the most minor decisions were made in secret meetings and security briefings with the coordination and approval of Moscow’s advisors.
Dostum, with a network of armed forces under his command, systematically carried out the suppression operation against the Mujahideen alongside the Soviets in the northern provinces of Afghanistan.
Throughout this entire period, whenever a movement or gathering against the communist regime formed, it was met with relentless and violent attacks from his forces. Many commanders and members of the Mujahideen were arrested, tortured, or martyred.
Ultimately, the picture that emerges from Dostum’s era of tyranny and oppression over the people of northern Afghanistan is one of cruelty and violence; people who were seeking a peaceful life were forced to leave their homes and lands and live in fear and suffering.
A closer look at those times reveals that Dostum was not only a military commander, but also a pawn used by domestic mercenaries to suppress the Afghan people; a tool in the hands of the Soviets to consolidate the oppression and crimes of the occupiers.
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