Taliban must work to prevent uncertainty

New government needs to walk the talk on reform, inclusion and security for all

As international aid agencies warn of impeding humanitarian crisis, the Taliban announced a hardliner government that is unlikely to entice foreign donors to extend the aid needed by Afghanistan to avert an economic collapse. Amid the continuing onslaught of Covid-19 and the repercussions of years long fighting that led last month to the collapse of the internationally recognised government and a swift takeover by Taliban, the UN sent an appeal for some $200 million in aid to prevent the collapse of Afghanistan’s health system. Most of the aid agencies that worked in the country fled following the Taliban takeover and international funding was cut.

It is doubtful however that international donors would be rushing for assistance while there is little clarity about the mechanism by which the money would be spent by the country’s new rulers. And Tuesday’s interim government announcement added to the doubts whether Taliban has changed its extremist ideology as its officials claimed recently. Shortly after capturing Kabul, the group promised “an inclusive government” that would be made up of all the country’s ethnic groups. But the cabinet announced by the militia yesterday was almost entirely from hard-core Taliban cadres who had held senior positions in the group’s earlier rule.

A new dispensation

The new caretaker Prime Minster, Mohammad Hasan Akhund, will head the new Taliban government. His deputy is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the chief of Taliban’s political council. Beside the fact that nearly all portfolios went to the majority ethnic Pushtun, the key security post, the ministry of interior, has been given to Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the Haqqani network. A report by the UN said the Haqqani Network continues to maintain strong ties with various extremist groups. It is of course early to judge the new Taliban government as it remains to be seen how they manage of the country’s affairs although early signs don’t bode well. They could however surprise by initiating a balanced approach.

Taliban will surely ask for more time to prove the doubters wrong. There is a slim chance that could happen, but let us not forget that they also stunned the world by their swift takeover. The new government needs to commit to that and ensure the safety and freedom of the aid groups for the sake of their people.