AKK: Afghan government must be involved in Taliban talks
December 3, 2019
Germany's defense minister has called for Afghan politicians to play a role in peace talks with the Taliban. The militant Islamist group has refused to engage with Kabul, instead focusing on direct talks with Washington.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/R. Gul
Advertisement
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told a news conference in Kabul on Tuesday that the Afghan government should not be left out of efforts to forge peace with Taliban insurgents.
"We believe that peace talks, and a peace agreement, should also include Afghan politicians and leaders," she said.
The German minister, who is also the leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), made the comments alongside Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on the second day of her visit to Afghanistan.
Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters that Berlin and Kabul both wanted the same thing, namely for people in Afghanistan to live in peace and safety.
She also expressed hope that the outcome of Afghanistan's presidential election would soon be announced, adding that a strong Afghan government would be better positioned to lead peace talks. The presidential polls were held in September, but technical glitches and allegations of rigging have caused delays in the release of results.
Ghani thanked the German minister for Germany's humanitarian and military contribution.
There are nearly 1,300 German soldiers stationed in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission to secure peace and stability in the country. The current "Resolute Support" mission is due to expire at the end of March next year, but Kramp-Karrenbauer has hinted that it will be extended.
According to the UN, more than 3,800 civilians were killed in the Afghan conflict last year — an 11% increase compared with 2017.
Endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Seventeen years after the US invasion of Afghanistan, the war-torn country remains in the grip of Islamist violence. A string of deadly attacks in the last year suggests militants are stronger than ever.
Image: picture alliance/Photoshot
Fragile security
Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
Image: Reuters/M. Ismail
A long series of attacks
The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the "Islamic State" (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Hossaini
Spring offensive
In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.
Image: Reuters
Trump's Afghanistan policy
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/B. Smialowski
Afghan peace process
Despite President Ghani's offer in February 2018 for peace talks "without preconditions," the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a "conspiracy."
Image: Getty Images/AFP/N. Shirzad
Pakistani support
Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country's militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.
Image: DW/H. Hamraz
Role of the warlords
Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.
Image: Reuters/O.Sobhani
An inefficient government
In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani's approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government's efforts to eradicate terrorism.
