Afghans eagerly await a permanent ceasefire

Afghanistan’s capital Kabul was on Saturday witness to a horrific attack that targeted schoolgirls in the western part of the city, just days after an equally brutal bombing in the capital of Logar province, the southern gateway to Kabul, last week. Saturday’s incident took the lives of 85 innocent civilians and wounded about 150, as per official reports. The attack is a fresh reminder of the human cost and suffering of the ongoing conflict, which has spanned four decades.

The Taliban movement immediately denied any involvement in the attack, which targeted a Shiite neighborhood. There were reports that groups affiliated with Daesh had claimed it. In the past, Daesh has mainly targeted Shiite communities. Even worshippers in mosques are not exempt from becoming victims to the gruesome attacks carried out by this group in the name of establishing the so-called Islamic State of Khorasan. This group is known to be the regional affiliate of Daesh.

With US President Joe Biden’s announcement of a complete withdrawal of American troops by Sept. 11, concerns have grown within government circles and ordinary citizens about the worsening security situation. However, in spite of the ongoing surge in violence, there is cautious optimism about a possible breakthrough in the peace efforts initiated by the former Trump administration and sustained by the Biden administration with a revised course of action. Since the US-Taliban deal of February 2020, large-scale attacks in cities have significantly decreased, but the targeted killings of journalists and civil society activists, including a large number of attacks on Afghan National Security Forces, have significantly increased. While the Taliban do claim attacks on security forces, they deny targeted killings and blame them on peace spoilers.

Regardless of who is responsible for the ongoing violent attacks, the Afghan government security machinery has completely failed to protect the lives of ordinary civilians. Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in an interview with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, was of the opinion that the Afghan government had lost its credibility due to a high level of corruption. The scourge of corruption and the mismanagement of resources in security institutions are directly responsible for the government’s inability to at least partially control the situation. Kabul and other major cities have become virtually lawless lands. The soldiers fighting on the front line hardly get basic supplies and constantly complain about logistical shortfalls, while the army generals and mid to high-level security officials enjoy high salaries, superior lifestyles and security protocols.

About 2,500 US troops remain in Afghanistan, although they have already started leaving the country. They are no longer directly involved in combat operations following the transition of security to the Afghan forces, but they have acted as morale boosters for the local troops, while also providing much-needed air support. The problem is not so much about the professionalism of the Afghan army as it is about a lack of commitment and mismanagement at the leadership level.

Speaking to a journalist in Tajikistan recently, US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was once again categorical in saying that the Afghan conflict had no military solution, emphasizing the need to reach a political settlement. Despite the worsening security situation, the US seems to be firm in its decision to withdraw all its remaining forces by the September deadline. Although the Doha peace process has achieved little so far in terms of progress toward a roadmap for peace, it did open a window of opportunity for the Afghan parties to negotiate the terms of an enduring peace settlement, including a permanent ceasefire. Building on the Doha process, the US has also come up with a proposed peace conference in Turkey, which was originally planned to be held in early April but had to be postponed for practical reasons.

The Taliban’s recent announcement of a ceasefire during this week’s Eid Al-Fitr is a welcome gesture by the movement. Afghans are eagerly waiting for a permanent ceasefire, together with sustainable security, in their war-ravaged country. With genuine commitment by both the Taliban and Afghan government, the dream of peace can come true.

• Ajmal Shams is Vice-President of the Afghanistan Social Democratic Party and is based in Kabul. He is a former Deputy Minister in the Afghan National Unity Government. Twitter: @ajmshams