Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL publication that unpacks the important thing points in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click on right here.
I am Abubakar Siddique, senior correspondent at RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi. This is what I have been monitoring and what I am maintaining a tally of within the days forward.
The Key Situation
INSIGHT: The Azadi Briefing: Why Does The Taliban Oppose Appointment Of A UN Particular Envoy To Afghanistan?
E-mail topic line: Taliban Opposes Political Dialogue With Rival Afghans
Key phrases for publication preview: See additionally: Iran builds barrier on Afghan border.
FACEBOOK TEASE: ”The Taliban thinks that it isn’t essential to have a political dialogue with individuals who have left the nation.” — Afghan analyst.
X TEASE: The Taliban opposes the appointment of a UN particular envoy, a number one worldwide interlocutor who would promote dialogue amongst Afghans.
The Key Situation
The United Nations is convening a serious worldwide assembly on Afghanistan within the Persian Gulf state of Qatar on February 18-19.
The attainable appointment of a particular UN envoy to Afghanistan might be one of many key points mentioned on the assembly, which can deliver collectively the particular representatives for Afghanistan from numerous nations.
However the Taliban has opposed the appointment of an envoy, a world interlocutor who can be tasked with selling dialogue between the extremist group and exiled opposition political figures.
After seizing energy in 2021, the Taliban has monopolized energy and sidelined many ethnic and political teams in addition to ladies. The Taliban’s theocratic authorities stays unrecognized internationally and seems to have little help amongst Afghans.
Why It is Necessary: An intra-Afghan course of that will result in a power-sharing settlement amongst rival Afghan teams is seen as the easiest way to succeed in an enduring peace within the war-torn nation.
The Taliban’s failure to comply with the appointment of a UN particular envoy may undermine reconciliation efforts.
”The Taliban thinks that it isn’t essential to have a political dialogue with individuals who have left the nation,” Tariq Farhadi, an Afghan political analyst primarily based in Europe, advised RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
Most of the leaders of the previous internationally acknowledged Afghan authorities went into exile after the Taliban takeover.
The Taliban has mentioned the appointment of a UN envoy is pointless as a result of the United Nations Help Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which primarily coordinates humanitarian and growth efforts, is already current within the nation.
”I do not assume that is appropriate,” former British diplomat Sir Nicholas Kay advised Radio Azadi, including that the duty of a particular envoy might be to advertise dialogue amongst Afghans and ”dedicate themselves to that diplomatic worldwide activity.”
What’s Subsequent: Given the Taliban’s opposition to a political dialogue and its insistence on imposing its harsh rule via brute drive, many of the worldwide group is more likely to help the appointment of a particular envoy.
However such a transfer may immediate the Taliban to cease participating with the United Nations and the worldwide group, which might doubtless entrench Afghanistan’s worldwide pariah standing beneath Taliban rule.
What To Preserve An Eye On
Iran has mentioned it’s constructing a 74-kilometer-long ”bodily barrier” alongside its lengthy border with Afghanistan.
Kiumars Heydari, head of Iran’s common military floor forces, mentioned on February 10 that the goal was to ”block a strip of the border with Afghanistan with bodily obstacles to restrict site visitors” on the porous frontier.
He mentioned the mission was ”some of the essential” undertaken by the Iranian authorities and might be carried out in 4 phases.
The launch of the mission comes after explosions claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group killed greater than 90 folks within the southern metropolis of Kerman on January 3, the deadliest assault in Iran in a long time.
Tehran has not acknowledged the Taliban authorities. Nevertheless it enjoys comparatively good relations with the group, regardless of clashes over points like cross-border water assets.
Senior Iranian officers have expressed issues over safety threats emanating from Afghanistan, the place IS militants are lively. The Taliban claims that the extremist group doesn’t exist in Afghanistan.
Why It is Necessary: Iran is the second nation — after Pakistan — that’s trying to construct a barrier on the border with Afghanistan.
Iran’s mission is probably going aimed toward curbing the 1000’s of unlawful Afghan migrants who cross into the Islamic republic each week. Many are fleeing their homeland to flee Taliban repression and the humanitarian and financial crises in Afghanistan.
On February 14, Taliban officers mentioned that greater than 25,000 Afghans had been forcefully expelled from Iran this month.
Tehran has vowed to expel the estimated 5 million Afghans it says reside ”illegally” in Iran.
That is all from me for now. Remember to ship me any questions, feedback, or ideas that you’ve.
Till subsequent time,
Abubakar Siddique
If you happen to loved this briefing and do not need to miss the following version, subscribe right here. Will probably be despatched to your inbox each Friday. You possibly can at all times attain us at azadi.english@rferl.org.