Hekmatyar shrugs off past in bid to rebrand

kabul — Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar roundly refused to apologise over war crime allegations in an audio message to AFP, even as his group attempts to rebrand from a radical, misogynistic movement to a mainstream political force.

A landmark accord signed with Hezb-i-Islami (HIG) in September is Afghanistan’s first peace agreement since the Taleban launched their insurgency in 2001, and paves the way for Hekmatyar’s political comeback after nearly two decades in hiding.

The deal grants Hekmatyar — accused of killing thousands in Kabul during the 1992-1996 civil war — legal immunity from past crimes, sparking revulsion from human rights groups. But Hekmatyar shrugged off such criticism.

“Those who have committed crimes or have been charged by a reputable court should apologise. Not those upon whom war is imposed, who have resisted the invaders, defended themselves and defended the country,” Hekmatyar said, his voice a relaxed drawl.

The audio file from Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister and one of the most controversial figures in the country’s modern history, was in response to questions AFP sent him through his son, Habiburrah man.

The clip was delivered last week by Mohammad Karim Amin, Hekmatyar’s chief negotiator.

It came as HIG is scrambling to repair Hekmatyar’s public image as a murderous warlord, with Karim holding daily meetings with civil society activists and women’s groups in a luxury hotel in Kabul that sometimes last up to 18 hours a day.

More significantly, Hekmatyar has sought to project himself as a “peacemaker” with the Taleban, a more powerful insurgent group that has repeatedly rebuffed government calls for talks.

“HIG can act as a drive belt linking the Taleban and the government,” Karim said after Hekmatyar called for Taleban reconciliation during the signing ceremony of his peace deal in September.

Karim said dozens of low-level Taleban commanders have reached out to him, but a Western official in Kabul said Hekmatyar’s largely dormant group was trying to punch above its weight.

“The government hopes to use the HIG deal as an opening for further Taleban negotiations, but I’m not convinced the Taleban leadership considers Hekmatyar as a serious influence on their decision-making,” he said. HIG, whose followers were once accused of throwing acid at women, has also sought to brush aside its reputation for misogyny. “I don’t see any considerable women’s groups that have opposed the peace agreement,” Hekmatyar said.

“But if you mean a few women who gathered in front of media cameras in a small park in Kabul carrying four or five banners, is this even worth mentioning?”

Hekmatyar was referring to activists who protested in Kabul in September, holding placards portraying him with blood spilling from his mouth and a rocket piercing his nose. It read: “We cannot forgive the executioner of Kabul.”

“During the talks I told HIG delegates ‘if you are pro women’s rights, why are there no women in your delegation?’” said Habiba Sarobi, the only female representative in the negotiation process. —