Afghan National Army: Efforts to Train and Equip Afghan Security Forces

The origins of the Afghan National Army (ANA) are deeply rooted in Afghanistan’s long and complex history of warfare, tribal loyalties, and external interventions. While the modern ANA officially emerged in the early 2000s, its conceptual and cultural roots stretch back through centuries of conflict and evolving governance structures in the region.

Historically, Afghanistan’s military forces were shaped by local warlords and tribal leaders who provided security and fought in various internal and external conflicts. The concept of a centralized national army gained traction during the reign of King Amanullah Khan in the early 20th century, when efforts were made to modernize and professionalize Afghanistan’s armed forces. However, these early attempts were limited in scope and largely symbolic, as loyalty to tribe, ethnicity, and local power brokers often took precedence over national allegiance.

The collapse of the Soviet-backed Afghan army following the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, and the subsequent civil war, left the country without a functioning central military. During the 1990s, various militia groups and warlord factions operated with near-complete autonomy, eroding the notion of a unified national army. When the Taliban emerged in 1996, they created their own military forces, but these were more ideological and less structured as a national institution.