Afghan warlord accused of rights abuse awarded highest military rank

KABUL: A powerful Afghan warlord accused of kidnapping and raping a political opponent and of committing rights abuses for decades has been given the country's highest military rank, a top official said Friday.

Abdul Rashid Dostum, 66, was awarded the rank of marshal in a decree issued by President Ashraf Ghani, making him the only third such recipient in Afghan armed forces.

"I congratulate you on achieving the highest military rank of the country," Abdullah Abdullah, who now heads a high-profile council tasked with holding peace talks with the Taliban, wrote on his Facebook page about Dostum on Friday.

"Awarding the marshal rank is an appreciation to the thousands of mujahideen fighters who have been martyred and wounded over the years while defending the country."

Ghani's office was unavailable for comment but some Afghan media networks reported that Ghani had issued a decree conferring the title on Dostum.

Dostum had been vice president in Ghani's previous 2014 government, but fell out with him and became an ally of Abdullah. Both Abdullah and Dostum denounced the result of a September 2019 presidential election that saw Ghani re-elected amid claims of fraud.