WITH the Aghan Government on
the brink following the complete withdrawal of US troops later this month, an
academic urged the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) to intervene before a civil war erupts in the nation.
“The current Afghan
administration, led by President Ashraf Ghani, is having trouble persuading his
troops to fight the Taliban aggressively, despite the latter claiming control
of more than 85% of the country’s territory.
“People who cooperated with
the US and its allies, including their family members, are at risk of being
killed by the Taliban as the troops leave Afghanistan later this month.
“The US is obligated to
stabilise Afghanistan at all costs, because they cannot afford to repeat the
mistakes made in Iraq.
“The Islamic State was formed
as a result of the US handing over power to the Iraqi people before stabilising
the country, resulting in the world having to deal with a strong radical
movement until today,” HELP University Faculty of Business, Economics and
Accounting and Institute Crime and Criminology senior lecturer R Paneir Selvam
told FocusM.
Soon after taking office, US
President Joe Biden announced that US will pull out its troops from
Afghanistan, after being there for 20 years.
While his decision received
praise from Americans, Afghani people started worrying about the return of
Taliban, a radical Islamist movement which took over the country in the 1990s,
before being toppled by the US forces in 2001.
Their fears came true after
Taliban managed to take over swathes of territories from the country, with the
Afghan forces being defeated without help from American troops.
Many Afghanis who worked for
the US forces were found killed by Taliban fighters, together with their
families.
Since then, Biden has
announced a programme worth US$100 mil to deport the families of Afghani
workers who helped US troops.
Paneir Selvam said the
situation in Herat City itself has deteriorated in recent days, with Taliban
forces gaining the upper hand.
“Inside Herat City, the
Taliban have taken control of a crucial district, as well as the route that
connects the provincial capital to the airport,” he added.
The China-Afghanistan
connection
Paneir Selvam said that US’
action has caused a major upheaval in Afghanistan as apart from Taliban, other
anti-Taliban movements including the Islamic State is also gaining strength in
the nation.
“Afghanistan may face a civil
war. Just recently, while Ghani and his top officials held outdoor prayers to
mark the commencement of Eid al-Adha, at least three rockets hit near the
Government palace.
“The Islamic State has claimed
responsibility for the attack,” he mentioned.
On that note, Paneir Selvam
said that one must wonder on how the Taliban, despite not being in power for
two decades, was able to obtain enough resources to challenge the Afghan
Government.
“Who is providing them with
funds and weapons? Where are they getting sensitive logistics and intelligence
reports from?
“In the event Taliban does
overthrow the current Government, will they be recognised by other world
powers?
“Most importantly, what role
is OIC going to play to ensure the rights of Afghani people will be protected
at all times?” he asked.
Paneir Selvam added that one
should not discount the role China will be playing in carving Afghanistan’s
future, given the country is an integral part of the multi-billion-dollar Belt
and Road Initiative.
He said that senior Taliban
leaders have meet high-ranking Chinese officials recently, including Foreign
Minister Wang Yi in Tianjin to discuss geopolitical issues.
“The Taliban delegates, headed
by its co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is also leading the group’s
political commission.
“Wang Yi recognised the
Taliban as a major military and political power in Afghanistan at that
discussion. He also highlighted that the Taliban would play a key part in the
country’s ‘peace, reconciliation, and reconstruction’ efforts.
“And the Chinese official
stressed that it respects Afghanistan’s sovereignty and insisted on
non-interference in country’s domestic issues,” Paneir Selvam noted. – Aug 1,
2021.
Source: https://focusmalaysia.my/un-and-oic-must-help-carve-afghanistans-future-academic-says/
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