Najibullah

Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai, commonly known as Najibullah (born 1947, died 1996), was an Afghan communist politician who led the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1987 to 1992. He served as General Secretary of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) from 1986 to 1992 and as President of Afghanistan from 1987 to 1992, overseeing the late Soviet period and the subsequent civil conflict.

Najibullah rose through the ranks of the PDPA during the 1970s and 1980s and became a central figure in the government after the 1986 factional reorganization. His presidency coincided with the withdrawal of Soviet forces and the start of intensified resistance by mujahideen groups. He pursued a policy of national reconciliation aimed at broadening the regime’s legitimacy by offering a role to some anti-communist factions within a reformist, one-party framework. The strategy sought to end the civil war and stabilize the country, but it faced strong opposition from both hardline elements within the PDPA and various insurgent factions.

After Kabul fell to rebel forces in 1992, Najibullah and his government collapsed, and he sought asylum in the United Nations compound in Kabul. He remained there until his capture and death at the hands of the Taliban in 1996. His death symbolized the collapse of the PDPA state and the difficulties of stabilizing Afghanistan amid competing nationalist and insurgent movements.

Najibullah’s legacy is contested: some view his later reforms as pragmatic attempts at reconciliation and modernization, while others condemn the authoritarian nature of his regime and its reliance on the security apparatus.