July 02, 2021

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for peace in Afghanistan

topic:	Peace and Reconciliation
located:	Afghanistan
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

They have endured well over four decades of violence, but Afghans, just like other people on the planet, have the right to peace and love in their life.

They cannot ‘get used to’ the bloodshed, and this violence shall never be perceived, promoted or portrayed as the new normal for Afghanistan as foreign troops rush to exit. 

By vacating the biggest military base operated by the American forces since invading the country,  Bagram air field, the US and its allies have taken a major step towards shifting the responsibility and authority to the Afghans when it comes to determining their future and that of subsequent generations.

Apparently, US President Joe Biden made it bluntly clear last week that the Americans simply want to leave the country and delegate all matters of nation-building and counter-terrorism to the Afghans. He said that Afghans "are going to have to decide their future," as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visited the White House.

Now, instead of putting aside guns and settling down the matter in a civilised manner on the negotiation table, what is visibly going wrong is that both the Afghan government and the Taliban seem to be making a mess of this opportunity for peace by resorting to violence.

The defense ministry under hawkish minister Gen. Bismillah Muhammadi has begun a dangerous move to arm local and unregulated militia against the advancing insurgents, while the Taliban are killing and destroying anything in their sight with an eye on the citadel of power in Kabul. 

Where does that lead to? 

Does the government honestly believe it can crush this robust insurgency, which is spread all over the country and partly fueled by the graveness and injustices caused by those who have been in power since the US invasion?

Does the Taliban believe they can topple the government in Kabul, which enjoys enduring NATO support and is guarded by some of the finest men in uniform. especially in the special units of police and army?

Besides, why rule over a graveyard? Why not stop the ongoing destruction and focus on ruling a country that has one of the world’s youngest and fast-developing populations? 

Each and every moment lost to this senseless war bears a grim price that common Afghans have been paying.

Conservative estimates by Afghanistan’s Tolo News suggest that over 6,000 Taliban fighters and 638 military personnel and civilians were killed in the month of June alone.

Image: Sohaib Ghyasi. 

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