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

The Sad Inefficiency of a Process

It has now become evident that the negotiation and reconciliation with the Taliban and other insurgent groups has thus farbeen a mere rhetorical dream pursued by Afghan government, in particular by President Hamid Karzai. Both mechanisms and outcomes remain flawed and are not clearly defined. The taxpayers' money of western countries has been lavishly spent over the period of more than one year since the High Peace Council was established to move forward the process officially.

But the result is zero and it has even caused further political fragmentation within the country. The reconciliation is intended to bring the Taliban militants and other insurgent groups linked with the global network of Al-Qaeda terrorists and regional elements back to the fold so as put an end to the lingering suffering of Afghan people.

But the militant groups targeted by the negotiation are too stubborn to change their mind to denounce violence and join a normal life. President Karzai's lax and appeasing approach has just led to alienation of major political coalitions and parties that have been backing the democratic processes since the Bonn agreements in late 2001.

In addition, this approach has provided pretext for the Taliban militants to seep into peaceful areas of Afghanistan and continue to hamper reconstruction and economic restoration efforts in the country. They also have continued their terrorist attacks that have led to increased civilian casualties- victimizing poor Afghan people who have been in quest of peace and stability for the last three decades.

One of the reasons for the sad failure of negotiation is a one-sided appeasement and advantage provided to the most destructive elements. Another reason is lack of inclusivity in the process. It is clear-cut that Afghanistan has been through war and civil strives for more than three decades.

One of the fiercest infightings was between the Taliban supported by the international terrorists and their regional sponsors on one side and different groups on the other. There is no doubt that those Afghan groups and people that fought the Taliban have been supporting a democratic process over the last eleven years.

But the Taliban continue to nurse grudges against them and view them as their enemies. On the other hand, these resistance groups- from different ethnic backgrounds that had come together under the umbrella of Northern Alliance - feel that the process of the negotiation and reconciliation is flawed and lacks transparency and inclusivity.

But president Karzai is indifferent to their voices and continues his autocratic and exclusionary decision-making, which has just led to victimization of Afghan people, strengthening of the Taliban and other insurgent groups, and loss of public trust in the political institutions. In fact, the sad failure of the peace-making process also reveals the bankruptcy of the current political structure, requiring a sweeping political reform initiative.