The world has adopted two different stances on the Taliban. One (which is dominant) says that it is useless to engage with the de facto authorities because they have not changed at all. The other school of thought says that the Taliban are a new reality and there is no other way to include Afghanistan in the global fabric except for doing so through the Taliban.
When the Taliban took part in the Oslo talks in January 2022, Norway received some backlash from former Afghan government officials, rights activists, and leaders around the world. They were all of the view that the Taliban were not a legitimate authority to represent Afghanistan. The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Anniken Huitfeldt, addressed the Nobel Peace Prize Forum 2022: Afghanistan – Finding a Way Forward on December 12, 2022. The minister underlined that there is no alternative to dialogue (except for engaging with the Taliban) – coming from such a high-level country representative from Europe, such statements certainly challenge the popular narrative that advises against holding any meaningful interactions with the de facto government.
“We need to talk with those in power to help the Afghan people, for instance, to ensure access for aid workers to all. Of the country, no access means no lifesaving assistance. This is also why many Afghans encouraged us to continue to facilitate talks with the Taliban and between the Taliban and other Afghans.”, said the diplomat.
She further stated that many Norwegians were surprised and also angry when Norway invited the Taliban to Oslo in January. “(Of) which I remain convinced that this was the right decision, the Oslo meetings brought together the de facto authorities and representatives of Afghan civil society and also the international community. There were frank discussions with the Taliban on human rights, on governance, and also on humanitarian situations.”, said the minister.
The FM also said that Norway is constantly assessing with partners like the EU, the US, and the UK, how to create leverage, how to reach the real decision-makers, and how to make the messages heard. “We must not look away. History has taught us that it’s unwise to give up on Afghanistan. No one will be. If it’s if the country descends into civil war or becomes a base for terrorism. That would hurt both the Afghan people and the international community. Today the Islamic State poses an even greater threat in Afghanistan, if not contained. The threat can also spread internationally over time.”, said Huitfeldt.
Hillary Clinton, former US Secretary of State, also spoke on the occasion. Clinton said that the Doha Agreement was negotiated with a very “narrow and limited” approach between the former US government and certain representatives from Afghanistan merely for the sake of “getting out” without any kind of leverage or concessions, and the decision-making process did not involve women. The few women, who were present, put forth their views. “(In response to which) the Taliban did as part of their charm offensive say that they were thinking differently about educating girls… but, it was not long after they took over that they reneged on every promise they had made.”, said Clinton.
While there are still contrasting views on whether to give diplomatic leverage to the Taliban or support those in opposition, one thing is clear: the Taliban did not strong-arm the former Afghan government or the US and NATO forces to flee Afghanistan. The initiators and partakers of the 20-year-long war on terror should be first held accountable for the chaos prevailing since August 15, 2021. The Afghan de facto government may completely be violating the Doha deal, but the point to ponder is why the signatories at the other end rushed into it and left the country – abandoning and misrepresenting the Afghan people and creating a governance void that gets bigger as time goes by.
