A former warlord branded the “Butcher of Kabul” made a triumphant return to the Afghan capital Thursday, met by uneasy residents two decades after leaving the city where he stands accused of killing thousands of people.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a former prime minister, has returned to mainstream political life after his dormant Hezb-i-Islami militant group signed a peace deal with President Ashraf Ghani which sparked revulsion from human rights groups and Kabul's residents.
The peace agreement inked last September marked a symbolic victory for Ghani, who has struggled to revive talks with the more powerful Taliban, but it has also fuelled fears of more political division.