Peace: Near or Far?

Reports of ISIS pressure on Taleban could work in favour of the government.

There has been talk about talks for peace for the last seven months. In March, inaugurating the fifth legislative year of Parliament,

Reports of ISIS pressure on Taleban could work in favour of the government.

There has been talk about talks for peace for the last seven months. In March, inaugurating the fifth legislative year of Parliament, President Ashraf Ghani said conditions for peace were never as good as now. The previous month, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah had said peace talks would start on March 15.

The process has not got off the ground. Instead, Taleban attacks have intensified.

Internal differences in both sides (government and Taleban) seem to be blocking the way, according to media reports.

Reporting on a visit to Islamabad by Taleban leaders a month ago, Reuters news agency said that Mullah Abdul Qayum Zakir, a high ranking Taleban commander, was for talks with Washington but opposed to talks with the Afghan government, while Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, a Taleban political representative, has thrown his weight behind peace in any case. There appears to be more support for Zakir’s position with Mullah Aghajan Motasim (the Taleban regime finance minister) saying in an interview with the BBC that all Taleban want peace but they want to talk with the US.

Wakil Ahmad Motawakel, the former Taleban foreign minister, shared his misgivings about the situation in an interview with Killid. “The thing that has decreased the chance for peace is that Taleban requested the exit of all US forces. There was possibility of peace at the end of Karzai’s government because the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement) had not been signed but now it has and there is a long way to peace.”

Mohammad Nayeem, Taleban spokesperson in the Qatar political office, told the Doha-based Al-Sharq daily that as long as American forces are in Afghanistan, the Taleban are not prepared to talk to any side. Should they say they are prepared to talk in the presence of US forces, it means they have “given up”, he said.

Political analysts fear chances of peace talks are remote in the light of the Taleban’s statements and the intensifying of war.

Turf war

Fighting could become worse with the appearance of fighters aligned to ISIS.

Dr Sadis Niazai, an analyst, points to the new ISIS-Taleban confrontation. ISIS fighters have declared a propaganda war on the Taleban, and called for jihad against Mullah Omar.  “It is interesting that both the Taleban and ISIS are fighting against the government but announce jihad against each other in a situation where the Taleban has let its fighters join the latter. Definitely there is confrontation between the two,” says Niazai.

This was hinted at by Nayeem, the Taleban spokesperson in Doha. In his interview with Al Sharq he said the Taleban has a clear policy and would never interfere in the affairs of other countries or let others interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs.

Meanwhile, authorities in Helmand say they can prove that ISIS and Taleban are encouraging their supporters to fight each other. Nabijan Mullah Khil, the police commander in Helmand, says documents were found in Kajaki district of Helmand province. He cites a letter in which Mullah Rauf, senior ISIS commander, orders his fighters to expel Taleban from Helmand. “Both groups are active in Kajaki. ISIS was established by Mullah Khadem. Now both groups have announced jihad against each other,” he says.

General (retired) Atiqullah Amarkhil, a military expert thinks ISIS wants to expel the Taleban from the field. “I am optimistic that the war between Taleban and ISIS would be beneficial to the Afghan government. ISIS pressure on the Taleban could force it to accept peace talks,” he hopes.