Afghanistan: A new (old) challenge for the international community

The entire world is following the developments in Afghanistan with a heavy heart, uncertainty and fear. What is occuring at the Hindu Kush is a humanitarian and political disaster. The fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban poses an enormous challenge for the international community and for those who tried to rebuild the country. We have seen the withdrawal from the country of US and NATO allied forces, a collapse of Afghan institutions, the resignation of the government, and a defeat of its security forces, allowing the Taliban to take over the country unexpectedly rapidly. The entire world is witnessing heart-breaking scenes from Afghanistan’s cities, culminating with the images of chaos and panic at Kabul International Airport.

At this critical and dramatic moment, humanitarian action must be our top priority. The international community should urgently secure the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals and the most vulnerable, especially human rights and women activists, humanitarian aid workers, and Afghans who risked their lives to help rebuild their country. This week, the G7 stated a steadfast commitment to the people of Afghanistan, supporting the UN Security Council statement of August 16^th. Strong coordination through the UN, the G20, and more widely is needed to ensure the security of people in danger and to address the critical questions facing Afghanistan.

In particular, it is imperative to tackle the humanitarian crisis in the country and in the region, caused by conflict, displacement, food insecurity, droughts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a task for the entire international community to help alleviate this political and humanitarian disaster. Providing the necessary resources and financial resources to the UN Refugee Agency and to other humanitarian aid organisations on the ground quickly is essential. In Europe, we should learn from the mistakes made in dealing with the Syrian civil war in 2015. We now urgently need to work with all the organisations providing humanitarian aid around Afghanistan. This also means supporting neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In some cases, this will be difficult, yet still necessary. Whether and to what extent a dialogue with the Taliban can take place depends largely on the protection of the fundamental rights of all Afghans, including women, girls, and persons belonging to minority groups. Moreover, any cooperation should be strictly conditioned upon repudiating all cross-border terrorism, including Al Qaeda and associated groups. Those in power in Afghanistan will be held accountable for their actions. The international community must stand united with respect to the Taliban and judge them by their actions, and not words.

Questions need to be asked, and answers need to be provided. The complete withdrawal of NATO troops has brought new uncertainties into an already unstable country. The peace talks in Afghanistan stalled, and the security situation remained uncertain. There was a danger that the Taliban would use this difficult situation to their own ends. How was it possible that — with all the investment of the last twenty years, numbering in the billions of dollars, as well as the manpower and the sacrifice of allied soldiers and civilian staff — Afghanistan folded in a matter of days? There must be a thorough and honest debate within NATO about this. IDU member parties should take the lead in this respect.

The international community has a role to ensure a stable Afghanistan and in working together to mitigate the serious consequences for global security and regional stability that the current emergency could trigger. It is in our interest to prevent any potential spillover of terrorism. As terror groups are beginning to muster in the Horn of Africa and reawaken movements elsewhere, I believe that regional key players like the African Union have to be heard to tackle the challenges occurring from terrorism. The export of terror, whether in South Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, or any other part of the world, should be met with swift and decisive action.