I s P e a c e F i n a l l y I nS i g h t f o rA f g h a n i s t a n ?Faseeha Hashmi (22 SEPT)In a bid to end the two-decade protracted war, a definitivepeace process is finally underway in the landlocked country ofAfghanistan. Acknowledging the co-signing of a peaceagreement between the Taliban and the US, there remains aconsiderable way to go in achieving lasting peace with theTaliban in a post-conflict Afghanistan. With Washington’simpending withdrawal, the question arises as to how theAfghan government will manifest a power-sharingarrangement with the Taliban.The current administration in Kabul faces numerouschallenges to its legitimacy that extend beyond the Taliban.Indeed, settling the score amongst competing political actorsdemonstrates a treacherous path forward. The future ofAfghanistan hangs in the balance. What exactly will it take forpeace to become a reality for the Afghani people, or are currentpeace efforts doomed to falter?The achievement of peace in Afghanistan has been a long timecoming, and the Withdrawal Accord represents the mostsignificant achievement to end the conflict to date. Now, morethan ever, the path forward requires ongoing internationalattention and support. It is hoped that a political arrangementbetween Kabul and the Taliban can be sorted out before thecomplete withdrawal of US troops. However, this process hasbeen further complicated by additional Taliban requests for thewithdrawal of all US military advisers from the country. Oncethe dust settles and American election has taken place inNovember, at least the American administration's commitmentwill be clarified moving forward.The US has a checkered history with the Taliban. Beginning in2001, Washington invaded Afghanistan in pursuit of theinternational terrorist organisation, Al-Qaeda. The maininsurgent group fighting against the Afghan government andcoalition forces, known as the “students,” then grantedsanctuary to Al-Qaeda and its now-deceased former leaderOsama Bin Laden.Following years of fighting, diplomatic and peace effortsintensified in 2018 between the Taliban and Washington. Theseefforts gave rise to the US-Taliban deal, officially signed on 29February 2020 in Qatar's capital, Doha. Under the Agreementfor Bringing Peace to Afghanistan (also known as the“Withdrawal Accord”), Washington agreed to discontinue all USand coalition operations in Afghanistan within the following 14months. In return, Taliban leaders have committed a reductionin armed violence and pledged not to cooperate with terroristorganisations such as Al-Qaeda. In addition, to encourage thekey players to the Accord, a prisoner swap was incorporated aspart of the deal. While these exchanges have helped to propeldialogue, the promises made by the Taliban to meet thosegoals have been vague and it has been difficult to ensurecompliance.As the Accord’s name suggests, the government of Afghanistanis not a party to it. Woefully, this constitutes a missing andcrucial ingredient to long-term peace. Open dialogue betweenthe Afghan government and the Taliban in a power-sharingarrangement is a necessity. Therefore, the intra-Afghandialogue is fundamental as both sides must continue to coexistin a post-US exodus era. This will require the arrangement of apermanent and comprehensive ceasefire between the warringsides. However, there are no publicly available details on howsuch a roadmap will materialise.Acknowledging the role of the US as one of the main actors inthis conflict, it is essential that Washington provides continuingassistance to ensure Afghanistan’s long-term socio-economicdevelopment. At some point, negotiations between Kabul andthe Taliban must be made concerning the fate of Afghanistanmoving forward. The long-fought achievements of women’sempowerment, freedom of speech, and freedom of expressionmust not be compromised - forlornly, representingattainments paid for in American and Afghan blood.Fortunately, in December, it will also soon be winter inAfghanistan, therefore there are higher chances of dialogue,making war less feasible. Irrespective of the current situation,the desire of the Afghan people to live in peace and harmonyshould not be underestimated, and the achievement of peacein Afghanistan must remain the focus of all parties. Despitedecades of continuous conflict, the resilience anddetermination of the Afghan people continue to shine through.To this end, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has boldly declaredthat failure is “not an option.”
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