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Why problems with US-Taliban peace deal have eclipsed the coronavirus pandemic in Afghanistan

The Afghan govt planned a ‘measured lockdown’ in the wake of Covid-19, but problems concerning the peace deal between the US and Taliban seemed to have dwarfed the pandemic.

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New Delhi: Notwithstanding the rapid spread of coronavirus that has made several countries to go under lockdown, the security situation in Afghanistan continues to remain volatile.

Despite the signing of the peace deal between the US and the Taliban last month, it is now the ISIS that seems hell-bent on disrupting the security situation in Afghanistan.

While the Ashraf Ghani government is contemplating a “measured lockdown”, the problems concerning the peace deal seemed to have dwarfed the pandemic.

“Kabul will go into measured lockdown. The “measures” are to ensure that people in the margins, daily wagers & working women & other vulnerable ppl don’t suffer from hunger. Critical supply chain will be intact & non-essential departments & staff will go off. Our aim is lower curve,” Amrullah Saleh, Vice-President of Afghanistan, tweeted Friday.

This comes even as the Ghani government launched the so-called intra-Afghan dialogue with a 21-member team on 26 March, which will negotiate with the Taliban and discuss the future of Afghanistan after the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.

But, a day before the Ghani administration announced this team, the ISIS claimed 25 lives by attacking a Gurudwara in capital Kabul.

India, which is one of the largest aid givers to Afghanistan in South Asia, called the attacks amid the coronavirus pandemic “reflective of the diabolical mindset of the perpetrators and their backers”.

Afghanistan so far has reported 34 positive Covid-19 cases. The country has pledged $1 million for the SAARC Covid-19 Emergency Fund, which was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

‘Difficult to predict how peace deal will unravel’

Experts said that in the wake of the pandemic, Ghani and Afghanistan’s former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah should come together for the larger good of Afghan people.

“The gurudwara attacks have been claimed by ISIS, which is not part of any peace deal. Nothing stops them from carrying out such attacks. So the security situation there remains volatile. As for Ghani and Abdullah’s infighting, they have been quarreling all along. At least keeping in mind the pandemic now, with the entire world going under a lockdown, one would expect them to come together for the larger good,” said Rakesh Sood, distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.

Sood, a former Indian ambassador to Kabul, further said that unless the composition of the 21-member team for the intra-Afghan dialogue is officially announced, it will be “difficult to predict how the peace deal will unravel”.

Intra-Afghan dialogue is a key feature in Ghani’s proposed seven-point plan. The plan includes the Afghan government speaking to the US, the Taliban, as well as Pakistan and other stakeholders.

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, meanwhile, said: “The Covid-19 crisis has taken the attention of the world away from Afghanistan because the main stakeholders in this, mainly the US, are now facing huge difficulties internally.”

Sibal, a veteran diplomat, said the attack on the Sikhs in Kabul by the ISIS only shows how the terror group is “hand in glove” there with the Taliban, which Pakistan is taking advantage of.


Also read: India bans entry of passengers from Afghanistan, Philippines & Malaysia


Infighting in Afghanistan

Earlier this week, the US State Department had announced it would trim down the aid its gives to Afghanistan by $1 billion this year, followed by another billion dollar in 2021, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s efforts to bring the sparring leaders — Ghani and Abdullah — together to form one government have failed.

“The United States is disappointed in them and what their conduct means for Afghanistan and our shared interests,” Pompeo said in a statement.

“Their failure has harmed US-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonours those Afghan, Americans and coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country,” the statement added.

Ever since the Presidential elections were announced there, both Ghani and Abdullah have formed parallel governments. Even their swearing-in ceremonies were held separately. 

“The rift between Ghani and Abdullah are too deep. Once the foreign forces withdraw, there is a potential of civil unrest in Afghanistan,” added Sibal.

Talks with Taliban on prisoner exchange

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, meanwhile, has been following up with the talks regarding the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners captured by America in exchange of 1,000 Afghan soldiers and police personnel held by the Taliban.

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, Khalilzad has been conducting these talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, through video conference.

“The second technical meeting on prisoner exchanges between the Afghan government and Taliban took place today, again by video conference. The two sides agreed prisoner releases by both sides will start March 31,” Khalilzad tweeted Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Taliban political spokesperson Suhail Shaheen has said it will sit for the intra-Afghan dialogue with the Ghani government only after the prisoners are released.

During an interview with Anadolu Agency, Shaheen, when asked about India, said the Taliban “want to establish good relations with all countries and work with them together in the reconstruction process of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign forces”.

Former foreign secretary Sibal said: “India has to safeguard its interest in Afghanistan and has to do more once the foreign troops withdraw and the Taliban becomes aggressive in grabbing power there.”


Also read: US, China rivalry spills over into India’s neighbourbood in the form of coronavirus aid


 

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