Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

How Fresh Insurgent Attacks Impact the Peace Process?

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How Fresh Insurgent Attacks  Impact the Peace Process?

In peace processes and negotiations for cease-fire all around the world, belligerent parties demonstrate signs of getting away from active clashes; however, this is not the case in Afghanistan.

After months of differences between President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, finally an agreement was reached to nominate Masoom Stanikzai for Defense Ministry. As Stanikzai was being introduced to the parliament for the position, a huge explosion disrupted the session. The people watched live chaotic scenes of parliament members running for their lives and a thick plume of smoke going up to the sky. The attack claimed lives of a woman and a child and left dozens injured. All the attackers were also killed. The Taliban claimed the responsibility of the attack. In addition, in a new blow of Taliban offensive, the militants took control of Dasht-e Archi and Chaar-Dara districts of Kunduz, posing imminent threats to the provincial capital of Kunduz.

This is while the national unity government of Afghanistan is trying to reach a negotiated peace deal with the Taliban. In an attempt to redefine the Taliban, President Ghani has called the militant groups as “political opponents” of the Afghan government. Along with the group’s spring offensive, the Taliban have also stepped up their diplomatic efforts, making trips to, Norway, Qatar, Iran and China. Given the Taliban’s continued violence, the question rises that is the peace process with Taliban beneficial anymore, or better say, is the government in any position for an equal negotiation?

The peace process with Taliban was initiated during Hamid Karzai’s presidency. The primary target of the peace talks with Taliban was to reach a peaceful settlement for the Afghan conflict. To start the peace process, there was need for an official address for the Taliban. Hence, the Taliban office in Qatar was opened, but was shut shortly afterwards when former president Hamid Karzai criticized the office as a rival embassy of the Taliban’s self-declared government. After years of unsuccessful peace overtures, the Afghan war still flames high, and claims lives of dozens every day.  The Afghan peace process has never been a bilateral negotiation. Another power was actively engaged in the process; and that was Pakistan. Pakistan is often viewed as having ultimate influence on the Taliban. President Karzai had volatile and often hostile relations with Pakistan, having a suspicious vision of this southern neighbor. In contrast, in order to reach a political settlement with the Taliban, Ashraf Ghani chose the opposite route and tried to narrow the diplomatic gap and suspicion between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He personally visited the Pakistan Army headquarters, and had multiple visits to Islamabad. His approach has cost him politically at home and abroad.  The Taliban have continued their violent strategy and are continuously targeting Afghan government and civilians. Annually, hundreds of Afghan police and army soldiers are killed in battle against the Taliban, as the innocent civilians suffer huge casualties from the war alike. The Taliban have been pursuing a hypocrite policy of shuttling between different countries for peace negotiations and simultaneously engaging in active battle in Afghanistan. In the meantime, Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani have continued calling Taliban as “brothers” and “political opponents” while the Afghan National Army is bearing huge casualties from the war with Taliban. The government has turned a black eye on Taliban’s atrocities and has continually ignored the bloods that are shed in battle. In 2011, Burhanuddin Rabbani, the head of High Peace Council was assassinated by a Taliban militant while he expected a Taliban representative for peace issues.

The Taliban are getting powerful day by day as the Coalition troops withdrew from Afghanistan and they seem unwilling to come forward for any negotiations with the government as they are trying to get more power and an upper hand in negotiations. In this very critical moment, the government has to avoid any kind of tolerance policy against Taliban attacks and should engage in fierce battle to crush Taliban uprisings. Kunduz province in the North is a highly strategic province as it is situated in the center of Northern and North-Eastern provinces and it borders Tajikistan as well. The Taliban have huge influence in the province and until last week, it seemed like the provincial capital of Kunduz was falling to the Taliban. The government should eradicate the Taliban from this strategic province otherwise a huge risk is eminent for the Northern provinces.

In addition, the Defense Ministry has the prominent responsibility of carrying offensives against the Taliban and yet the ministry does not have an official minister. The government should introduce the minister as soon as possible to fill this huge vacuum. On the other hand, ANA soldiers’ salaries should be paid on time. ANA soldiers have families to support and proper salary will be an incentive from them to keep their morale high and fight.

In the meantime, ISIS is spreading across Afghanistan and it is reported that they have been recruiting people in parts of the country. In addition, ISIS has been executing Taliban militants as well. With the new threat, the Taliban are now facing two opponents and will foresee more pressure. ISIS also has created fractions between Taliban officials as some of the Taliban members have joined ISIS. Unless, there is a negotiation between Taliban and ISIS, the Taliban are likely to be weakened more than ever.

A belligerent policy against Taliban will give the government an upper hand and will compel the Taliban to leave the battlegrounds and take a peaceful and negotiation-oriented approach. As the Persian proverb says, “Make them suffer to death and they will be happy with minor sufferings.” Now that’s the case with the Taliban. As the Taliban see no other option but negotiate or die, they will put their weapons down and join the peace process.

 

Ewaz Ali Bahrami is the newly emerging writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at outlookafghanistan@gmail.com

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