The Taliban have allegedly displaced hundreds of families belonging to the Shiite Hazara community in central Afghanistan. The move has reinforced fears of renewed persecution against the minority group, which has suffered under Taliban rule in the past. The evictions occurred in the Gizab district of the Uruzgan province after warnings from the Taliban earlier this month that stated residents of the Kindir and Tagabdar villages had just over a week to leave their homes.
Last week a similar warning was distributed to other villages. Residents state that the Taliban has seized livestock and crops during the eviction. The Taliban has denied illegally evicting the Hazara villagers, stating that ownership of the land in which the families lived was legally disputed, however, this claim has been rejected by locals. One man stated that his family had been living there for generations and had faced a similar situation due to the Taliban in 1990.
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