Afghanistan: how the taliban stand to benefit from norway talks

Talks with Western officials in Oslo show the Taliban desperately need recognition for their government. They have launched a diplomatic offensive to achieve this goal, and, from their point of view, they are succeeding.Norwegian authorities have said the ongoing international talks with the Taliban are not tantamount to legitimizing the Islamist group. But human rights activists, particularly those from Afghanistan, do not agree with these claims. They have slammed Norway’s decision to host the militant group, which seized power in Afghanistan last August. The Taliban, however, are hailing the Oslo talks as an “achievement.” At the end of the first day of talks on Monday, a Taliban official told the AP news agency that the meetings were a “step to legitimize the Afghan government.”

Amir Khan, the Taliban’s foreign minister, said after meeting with envoys from the US, France, UK, Germany, the EU and Norway on Tuesday that “Norway providing us this opportunity is an achievement in itself because

we shared the stage with the world.” The West faces a dilemma: It accuses the Taliban of continued human rights abuses in Afghanistan but at the same time understands that engaging with the Islamic fundamentalist group is now more important than ever. The main reason behind this engagement is the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Earlier this month, the United Nations made the “biggest-ever appeal” for humanitarian aid for a single country, saying it needed $4.4 billion (€3.9 billion) for Afghanistan to prevent the “world’s most rapidly growing humanitarian crisis” from deteriorating further.

For that reason, Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt stressed that the international community “must talk to the de facto authorities in the country” as it “cannot allow the political situation to lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster.” Afghan protesters in Oslo slam Western talks with the Taliban

Taliban cashing in on humanitarian crisis

But engagement with the Taliban can prove to be a slippery slope for the West. The group seeks recognition and financial aid for its government, and it can use the humanitarian crisis in the country as an excuse to attain that. “The Taliban are using Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis to stay relevant. They have convinced the international community to engage with them directly, and the Oslo meeting is a good example of that,” Mohammad Shafiq Hamdam, a political analyst and former adviser for NATO in Afghanistan, told DW. “We are requesting them to unfreeze Afghan assets and not punish ordinary Afghans because of the political discourse,” Taliban representative Shafiullah Azam said on Sunday. “Because of the starvation, because of the deadly winter, I think it’s time for the international community to support Afghans, not punish them because of their political disputes.”

Shamroz Khan Masjidi, a former lecturer and political analyst, believes the group has intensified its diplomatic efforts to gain recognition for its rule.

Hamdam warned that the international community should remain cautious in its dealings with the militant group. “Afghans have not recognized the Taliban as their rulers. There shouldn’t be any discussion to recognize the Taliban without holding elections in Afghanistan. There should be an inclusive government respecting human rights in the country,” he said. Source:bc.ctvnews.ca

How to help Afghans without benefiting the Taliban? Source:dw.com/en/afghanistan