For more information on what constitutes an episode of mass killing, see the Early Warning Project's Definitions page. According to those criteria, Afghanistan is already experiencing an episode of mass killing perpetrated by the Taliban (Early Warning Project). This question pertains to the risk of a new episode of mass killing. The Early Warning Project’s statistical risk assessments identified Afghanistan as the 8th country at the greatest risk of an onset of a new episode of state-led mass killing. Those forecasts do not include the risk of mass killing by non-state groups, which would also produce a “yes” answer to this question. This question will be resolved by the Early Warning Project, in consultation with subject matter experts, using publicly available secondary sources. If the project determines that a new episode of mass killing has occurred, relevant evidence will be summarized in a post on EWP's blog. Recommended Questions Will there be a new episode of mass killing in Yemen before 1 January 2017? Will there be a new episode of mass killing in Pakistan before 1 January 2017? Will the government of Afghanistan and the Afghan Taliban participate in official talks before 1 March 2017? This question was closed as a "no" with an end date of 31 December 2016. The EWP did not find evidence of a new mass killing episode in Afghanistan before the end of 2016 (Early Warning Project). See our FAQ to learn about how we resolve questions and how scores are calculated.

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