Definitely Taliban leaders sitting down with US officials
and separately with Afghan politicians is an important political development of
the 17 years long Taliban insurgency. But US which is eager to negotiate with
Taliban and pack their bags to leave for home have to understand that only
talking to Taliban won't serve much purpose. For the Afghan peace process to succeed long term there has to be
comprehensive one which includes participation of Afghans from all walks of
life including Political parties, civil society, Afghan government and tribal
chiefs. The major flaw in the current peace process is that it should have been
preceded by the domestic consensus between various stakeholders.

Without an internal consensus it would be difficult to
prevent a new civil war after foreign troops leave the country. Afghan society
is a complex one including many ethnicities; major ones are Pashtun, Tajik,
Hazaras and Uzbek and numerous minor groups like Ismailis, Qizilbash, Farsiwan,
Aimaqs, Baluchis, Brahui and Nuristanis. Any foreign forced peace arrangement
which was agreed between a foreign power and one group in a capital of an Arab
state won't harmonise intra Afghan relations. Which is a must for reaching any
long-lasting peace and stability. Also it will not work without foreign help
like the one with Mujahedeen going to Saudi Arabia and swearing on the Quran
after the Soviet Union withdrawal from Afghanistan. Understanding this fine
line is very important and a calm and calculated approach is needed.
The peace process should also aim to achieve peace with the
armed actors in the country and long-term reconciliation between the countries'
many diverse groups. Proposals for a negotiated political settlement to the
conflict in Afghanistan should take into account interests of all sections of
the Afghan population, include the active participation of all ethnic groups
and the main religious minorities, and provide for their appropriate
representation in any future power sharing arrangement, rather than sole focus
on one armed group as we should remember that Afghanistan is a country of 31
million people and not only of few thousand fighters.
Moreover, peace process in the war-ravaged country can't be
rushed, it's a long process which requires patience and due diligence like- The
British negotiated with the IRA for two decades before there was a peace deal
in Northern Ireland. It should not be assumed by foreign powers that Afghans
themselves are incapable of launching any successful reconciliation process.
Afghanistan has a long tradition of using the forum of large gatherings
historical, the intra tribal meetings (Jirga) to discuss important and current
issues and to reach agreement and consensus. So, Afghans are capable enough to
talk with their fellow countrymen as was demonstrated in 2016 when President
Ghani successfully presented the peace agreement with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's
party, the Hezb-e Islami. The peace deal resulted in Mr Hekmatyar's return from
a 20 years long self-imposed exile and converted Hezb-e-Islami from an armed
group to a political actor. But it should be understood that the situation with
the Taliban is different and help from outside is crucial to have peace amongst
Afghans so peace does not turn in to civil war again upon entering negotiation with
the current government.
Moreover, external actors bypassing elected bodies in the
country and directly engaging with the Taliban helped in starting the peace
process and also damaged Afghanistan's political institutions which needs to be
strengthened. For this U.S and important regional players should ensure that
any initiative of peace process should be initiated from the democratically
elected government of Afghanistan. Hence the peace process must continue and it
should be open and transparent one which encourages the involvement and ownership
of all Afghan stakeholders.
This is the only way that the overwhelming public support
for a negotiated settlement can be capitalized on. The international community
has an extremely important role to play in this respect. Not only is it
imperative for donor countries to voice their continued financial support for
both the country's development and military assistance to the Afghan armed
forces, but all countries with an interest in a peaceful and stable Afghanistan
need to demonstrate their unwavering, yet critical, support for a negotiated
peace process.
If the Taliban are sincere in their love for their country
they must understand the consequence of US and UN troops leaving Afghanistan. Captain Tarlan Eyvazov, a soldier in the
Soviet forces during the war, stated that the Afghan children's future is
destined for war. Eyvazov said, "Children born in Afghanistan at the start
of the war... have been brought up in war conditions, this is their way of
life." Eyvazov's theory was later strengthened when the Taliban movement
developed and formed from orphans or refugee children who were forced by the
Soviets to flee their homes and relocate their lives in Pakistan. The swift
rise to power, from the young Taliban in 1996, was the result of the disorder
and civil war that had warlords running wild because of the complete breakdown
of law and order in Afghanistan after the departure of the Soviets.
What happened after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan
in 1989?
Various factions of Mujahedeen -- or holy warriors -- whom
were allowed to be managed by Pakistan took control but then quickly began to
fight among themselves for power. If the peace process is not handled properly
the children of Afghanistan will face the same consequences. If the world before
and after Soviet Withdrawal that supported the Mujahedeen had helped create a government
in Afghanistan instead of watching them fight, the civil war would not have happened
and the consequences would have not been felt in 9/11.
We do not want history to repeat itself and patience and
understanding is required from all sides because without it the lives of
Afghans are in stake on both sides. The faster we can iron our differences the
more innocent Afghan lives we can save.
Today as I was putting together this article from different sources a Jirga
was announced by the government of Afghanistan to start on March 17th
which has been talked about for months' to discuss peace, hopefully the participants
will adhere to good common sense. It would be a perfect game of chess if all
sides agree on a draw. Today as I was putting together this article from different sources
most articles intentions were a check mate from one side or another but my
intention was to clarify the situation for all. A Jirga was announced by the government
of Afghanistan to start on March 17th which has been talked about
for months to discuss peace. Hopefully
the participants will adhere to good common sense for the benefit of the
country. It would be a perfect game of chess if all sides agree on a draw. Political Sacrifices for Peace in Afghanistan Part 2 Mateen Karzai
Edited by AfghanistanNews - 20-Feb-2019 at 10:54pm
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