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Insurgent Groups Controlling Mines In Nangarhar: Report

A new report by Global Witness shows that terrorist groups such as Daesh, in coordination with local mafia groups, control key mines in the eastern province of Nangarhar. 

According to the report, the insurgents have strategic interests in the country’s rich mineral resources. 

“Islamic State (Daesh) is known to have vastly exploited natural resources in Iraq and Syria. Now we reveal how it appears to be turning its attention to Afghanistan, particularly to the country’s talc mines,” according to Global Witness website. 

“Access to talc mines is also a current source of conflict between the IS-KP (Daesh) and the Taliban – already estimated to be making around $300 million a year from Afghanistan’s mineral wealth - in the mineral-rich Nangarhar province,” the report says. 

“Our research shows that talc mined in Afghanistan is transported across the border into neighboring Pakistan where it is mixed with Pakistani mined talc before export. Some 40 percent of talc exported from Pakistan goes to the US; with the EU as another large market,” says the report.

Talc is a common ingredient in a vast number of everyday products; from cosmetics to paints, and plastics to baby powder. The lifestyle and habits of Western consumers is driving the demand for talc production – and the biggest single market is the United States. 

Meanwhile Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) has confirmed the report by saying that the existence of corruption in the security sector paved the way for talc to be exported to Pakistan illegally.

“Our findings show that the income received by armed opponents, mafia groups and local lawbreakers from the mining sector of the country is ten times bigger than the revenue collected by government,” said Nasir Taimori, a researcher at IWA. 

Based on the report, despite the Afghan government’s efforts to identify talc as a main source of revenue for its national budget, government is losing revenue from talc and other mines.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) has not commented on the report, but officials from Natural Resources Monitoring Network (NRMN) have said that over the past two years millions of tons of talc have been exported to Pakistan under different pretenses. 

“Two years ago government stopped the export of talc, but the export of talc resumed following pressure and it was decided that only 1,000 tons of talc must be exported per annum. But since then, millions of tons of talc has been exported to Pakistan,” said NRMN member Ibrahim Jaffari. 

The plundering of mines in Afghanistan by insurgent groups, armed opponents and mafia groups has been a major issue over the past few years. 

Analysts have warned that the continuation of the trend could create more problems for Afghanistan in the future, similar to what has happened to some African countries.

Insurgent Groups Controlling Mines In Nangarhar: Report

The report also indicates that talc mines are a source of conflict between Daesh and Taliban in the province. 

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A new report by Global Witness shows that terrorist groups such as Daesh, in coordination with local mafia groups, control key mines in the eastern province of Nangarhar. 

According to the report, the insurgents have strategic interests in the country’s rich mineral resources. 

“Islamic State (Daesh) is known to have vastly exploited natural resources in Iraq and Syria. Now we reveal how it appears to be turning its attention to Afghanistan, particularly to the country’s talc mines,” according to Global Witness website. 

“Access to talc mines is also a current source of conflict between the IS-KP (Daesh) and the Taliban – already estimated to be making around $300 million a year from Afghanistan’s mineral wealth - in the mineral-rich Nangarhar province,” the report says. 

“Our research shows that talc mined in Afghanistan is transported across the border into neighboring Pakistan where it is mixed with Pakistani mined talc before export. Some 40 percent of talc exported from Pakistan goes to the US; with the EU as another large market,” says the report.

Talc is a common ingredient in a vast number of everyday products; from cosmetics to paints, and plastics to baby powder. The lifestyle and habits of Western consumers is driving the demand for talc production – and the biggest single market is the United States. 

Meanwhile Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) has confirmed the report by saying that the existence of corruption in the security sector paved the way for talc to be exported to Pakistan illegally.

“Our findings show that the income received by armed opponents, mafia groups and local lawbreakers from the mining sector of the country is ten times bigger than the revenue collected by government,” said Nasir Taimori, a researcher at IWA. 

Based on the report, despite the Afghan government’s efforts to identify talc as a main source of revenue for its national budget, government is losing revenue from talc and other mines.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) has not commented on the report, but officials from Natural Resources Monitoring Network (NRMN) have said that over the past two years millions of tons of talc have been exported to Pakistan under different pretenses. 

“Two years ago government stopped the export of talc, but the export of talc resumed following pressure and it was decided that only 1,000 tons of talc must be exported per annum. But since then, millions of tons of talc has been exported to Pakistan,” said NRMN member Ibrahim Jaffari. 

The plundering of mines in Afghanistan by insurgent groups, armed opponents and mafia groups has been a major issue over the past few years. 

Analysts have warned that the continuation of the trend could create more problems for Afghanistan in the future, similar to what has happened to some African countries.

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