Article Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/16/afghanistans-truce-ends-amid-calls-for-fresh-talks-with
Recently, Afghanistan had a three-day ceasefire with the Taliban, which has now ended. Though it was a ceasefire, their were still several attacks, many of which have been traced to ISIL/ISIS. The Taliban, which lost power after the 2001 US military invasion, has blamed the Afghan government for the fighting, claiming that they didn’t start it.
In attempts to negotiate, several meetings have been held in Qatar between Kabul (Afghanistan’s capital) and the Taliban. These talks have been pushed by the United States, which is planning to remove all troops by September of this year. These negotiations, however, are unlikely to be effective if ceasefires are ignored like this last one just a few days ago. If fighting continues (just with different groups) then both sides will be weary of agreeing to “ceasefires” in the future.
The continued fighting is also raising concerns in the global community when it comes to the United States and NATO removing troops. China’s foreign minister has even spoken out against troop removal as he fears that it will “negatively affect regional stability.” He has also called on the United Nations to step in and prevent a hasty removal of troops.
This continued fighting during a ceasefire and especially during an important Islamic holiday are certainly discouraging when it come to the future of Afghanistan. People have long debated whether the United States did more harm than good in stepping in, and it seems like so much has happened that has made that question almost impossible to answer. Even if the United States’ entrance was disastrous in many ways, it’s undeniable that a removal of troops will also have significant consequences. China’s concern was interesting to me, and I wonder if it has anything to do with their proximity to each other and the time that the Taliban supported the Uighurs by supplying them with weapons. It’s fascinating to see the far-reaching ramifications that have stemmed from this conflict, and the fact that China is relying on the United States to control one of their issues.
This situation connects to the concepts that we discussed in class in that it shows how interdependent most states are in the global community as a whole. Just this story about two opposing groups in Afghanistan includes the United States, Qatar, China, NATO, and the UN – all of which are major actors on the global stage. Even if a conflict is seemingly minor, the intricacies of the global community can ensure lasting impacts even in places where you wouldn’t necessarily expect. Thank you Mr. Bailey for a great year!