Do Afghans have the opportunity to create an alternative to the Taliban?
Author: Ahmad Saidi, an analyst on Afghanistan and regional issues (Germany), especially for Sangar
The organization of the 78th UN General Assembly and the historic meeting of the Security Council on September 26, 2023, showed that the international community is gradually coming to a consensus that the Taliban are not capable of governing Afghanistan. Over the past month, the issue of an alternative to the Taliban has also been slowly whispered and heard in international circles.
International organizations and countries around the world have cautiously but repeatedly raised the need for an alternative to the Taliban as an option. Now the question is, does the Taliban have an alternative in the current situation? If so, who or who are they?
In the current situation, how can the opponents of the Taliban come to an agreement and create a common axis?
In the current situation, the Taliban's opponents are divided into three value groups.
FIRST: Classic opponents of the Taliban, i.e. the remnants of jihadist organizations, which, transforming from jihadist values to ethnic fragmentation, lack the potential and ability to govern and are subject to harsh accusations in the minds of the Afghan people, but are outwardly united.
SECOND: The remnants of the Republic or its associated authorities, including the circles of Hamid Karzai, the former President, Ashraf Ghani, the former President, and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the former Executive Chairman. These groups claim political existence, but do not have any noticeable organization and coherence, only around Hanif Atmar, the previous foreign minister, are Masoom Stanakzai, Mohib, and Sarwar Danesh visible...
THIRD: The collection of national and unaffiliated forces, as well as independent figures, civil activists, women, and youth activists, which include a wide range of people, constitutes a group of Afghans due to their dispersion in four to five coalitions and core constituencies such as the National Defenders of Afghanistan's interests, National Resistance Front to save Afghanistan, National Resistance Front under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud, Azadagan Front, Azadi Front that we can count on.
If these groups are to become an opposition to the Taliban and can be united under a larger umbrella, then they can become an option or alternative to the Taliban. But what platform can bring them together? This is the main question.
In my opinion, at the first stage, they must set themselves criteria for working together, that is, define their common values, and then put forward their common demands in such a way that they can form the basis of their solidarity.
1 - We are all against the Taliban.
2 - We want to hold a national and civil Loya Jirga under the supervision of the United Nations.
3 - We want to negotiate and form a government with the participation of the Taliban.
4 - We will fight together until these goals are achieved.
5 - We want a united and indivisible Afghanistan and believe in history, culture, geography, and legitimate national sovereignty.
Now, if such an opportunity arises, can these currents find a solution to jointly fight the first and second currents, namely the High Council of Resistance and the remnants of the Republic?
These questions seriously face today's Afghan society.
I hope that in the coming days we will see positive changes in this area, that is, opponents of the Taliban will reach the necessary consensus.
