ABSTRACT
Distressingly, ‘the rule of the gun’ is a term often applied to many postconflict environments. In essence, the term refers to the continued dominance of armed groups and commanders and their influence over a broad range of sectors, from the political to the economic. While the fighting may have ended – whether as a consequence of a negotiated agreement, external intervention, war fatigue, peace-building or a changing international system – for the local population, the situation remains characterized by a high degree of insecurity. As will be demonstrated throughout this book, it is an appropriate description for Afghan politics over the past three decades.
