Broker Afghan peace
Images published in the media of Afghanis scrambling onto United States military aeroplanes in Kabul to flee their country as the Taliban regained control of the southwest-central Asian nation have been heart-wrenching.
Of course, not all of them will be able to escape and will have to accept the new order. It has taken 20 years of a bitter struggle for the militants to recapture the capital.
The US has been criticised for withdrawing its troops, leaving the vacuum that is being filled by the Taliban. Interestingly, President Joe Biden has defended the withdrawal of American troops after the Taliban takeover that has triggered panic in Kabul. The government that had been shored up by the West for two decades just disintegrated and vanished.
According to President Biden, Americans should not be fighting and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves. The Taliban have captured Kabul and other cities and the civilians fear for their lives under a group known for its brutality from 1996 to 2001. With the US, France, Germany and Australia evacuating their nationals, Afghanis have been abandoned in their hour of need.
The international community, especially the United Nations, need to quickly intervene and broker peace among Afghan groups. Even the Taliban cannot afford to ignore all the other segments of the nation.
Though triumphant, the regime must reassure the international community that they have also learnt from their previous mistakes. China, Iran and Russia have already sent signals to the Taliban that they are ready for cordial relations with Kabul.
Disappointing, though, is the rather lacklustre UN response, with the Security Council only saying that the international community must ensure Afghanistan does not become a breeding ground for terrorism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the “world is watching” and “cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan”.
It is, indeed, in the interest of all Afghanis, including the Taliban, to build a peaceful nation.
