Clash between forces loyal to Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad in Sar-e Pol - 2003-05-16

In a clash between the forces loyal to two Afghan warlords in northern Afghanistan, at least five people were killed. Officials from both groups stated that the forces loyal to Abdul Rashid Dostum, from the Uzbek ethnic group, and Atta Muhammad, from the Tajik ethnic group, clashed yesterday in the Sar-e Pol area, approximately 350 kilometers north of Kabul. It is unclear what triggered this latest clash. The two groups, which have long competed for dominance in northern Afghanistan, each accuse the other of starting the fighting. Both groups are part of the government of Hamid Karzai, the President of Afghanistan. The clashes between the forces loyal to various Afghan warlords have hindered Mr. Karzai's efforts to unify and rebuild Afghanistan. In the meantime, President Karzai has changed the governors of two provinces to strengthen the federal government in his country. The governor of Parwan province in central Afghanistan has been appointed as the governor of Badakhshan province in the northeastern part of Afghanistan, and a new governor has been appointed for Parwan province. Mr. Karzai recently complained that some governors are unwilling to account to the federal government. He threatened last week that he would replace senior officials in several provinces, accusing them of keeping local tax and customs revenues instead of transferring them to the central government.