Between Neutrality and Solidarity: Swiss Good Offices in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1992

After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Swiss government oscillated between neutrality and solidarity in one of the Cold War’s major hot wars. They delivered humanitarian aid, hosted Soviet prisoners and eventually mediated between the Afghan regime and the resistance.

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After 1979, Switzerland became increasingly involved in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan as a provider of humanitarian aid and good offices. It delivered aid to the region, hosted Soviet prisoners of war and eventually mediated between the Afghan regime and the mujahideen. What is puzzling about this development is that initially, following the Soviet invasion, both government and parliament refused to become diplomatically involved in Afghanistan on account of Swiss neutrality.

The present study investigates how and why this changed between 1979 and 1992. While the practical impact of Switzerland’s good offices was modest, the crisis revealed that Switzerland continued to struggle to balance the competing imperatives of permanent neutrality and international solidarity in an increasingly multilateral world.