Dina Mahmoud (Kabul, London)
At a time when the Taliban movement called on various countries of the world to build diplomatic and economic relations with Afghanistan, through a rare message issued by its leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, Western analytical circles confirmed that what they described as the current complex situation in this country, It requires immediate action to launch a comprehensive political process in its territory.
These circles stressed that such a step is necessary to address the pressing issues on the Afghan arena, politically, economically, security and livelihood, in addition to the damage caused to the social fabric as a result of the restrictions imposed on some groups such as women and minorities, along with the steady increase in activities related to agriculture. Drugs and trafficking.
Reports issued by the United Nations indicate that the cultivation area of “poppy,” from which opium is produced in Afghanistan, increased by 32% in 2022, and that the financial revenues generated by the cultivation of this narcotic plant for Afghan farmers tripled, raising from About $425 million in 2021, to nearly $1.4 billion the year immediately after that.
In addition, there are fears that the continuation of the current divisions in Afghanistan raises the risks resulting from attempts by extremist and terrorist groups to establish themselves in some Afghan regions, such as the “ISIS-Khorasan” organization, which last month claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack that occurred in one of the Afghan regions. On the outskirts of the Russian capital, Moscow, leaving more than 135 people dead.
These bloody developments highlight, according to Afghan affairs experts, the importance of developing a regional and international consensus to confront this escalating cross-border terrorist threat, which may at the same time spark unrest in Afghanistan itself, especially in light of the rugged terrain and remote areas that this country’s territory contains. It could constitute an ideal haven for terrorist organizations.
The experts also stressed that unifying regional and international positions on the desired political process in Afghanistan represents an inevitable necessity for its launch on the one hand, in addition to the fact that it may push the Taliban movement, on the other hand, to launch a comprehensive internal dialogue that helps create the necessary conditions to form a government. A new Afghan language, covering various sects.
Experts stressed the need to involve the main actors, internally and externally, in the efforts necessary for such a government to emerge. At the forefront of these parties are neighboring countries, which usually play a pivotal role in dealing with the situation in Afghanistan, given their geopolitical, economic, and security interests there.
The formation of this comprehensive government would first meet the needs of the Afghans, then enable the authorities in the country to confront the challenges related to terrorism and drug trafficking, and put the local economy on the path to recovery after decades of collapse, which would open the door to the emergence of a new, stable and peaceful Afghanistan, and would also contribute, consequently, to Achieving regional stability and combating terrorist threats at the international level.
In statements published by “The Diplomat” news website, the experts called for the international community in this regard to adopt what they called a “conditional engagement strategy” to deal with the ruling authorities in Kabul, after the international and regional powers concerned with the Afghan file began communicating with the “Afghanistan” movement. Taliban” since the summer of 2021, without official recognition of its control in Afghanistan, which has not yielded sufficient results so far.
Those calling for the adoption of this new strategy hope that it will contribute to providing a glimmer of hope for the Afghan people in a better future, especially if it leads to the resumption of international financial aid and humanitarian support directed to Afghanistan, provided that this is accompanied by guarantees to ensure that they are not misused.
Agreement on these controls ensures that international aid helps achieve stability in Afghan territories, without the risk of being directed, partially or completely, to areas of spending other than those specified by donors, led by the United Nations, which has provided nearly three billion dollars to the Afghan government. Afghanistan since 2021.
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