The ‘fatally flawed’ KabulProcess for Peace and Security

Kabul – June 6, 2017 |

KabulProcess-image

The #KabulProcess for Peace and Security Cooperation meeting was held today on June 6, 2017. The Co-op, supported by many in the International community, defines a framework –albeit fatally flawed– to achieve Peace and Security between ‘warring factions’ and ‘neighbors and involved actors.’ 

Some of the key points of #KabulProcess defined by Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs are:

  • Afghan Government drives the Peace process. 
  • Peace and security in Afghanistan is interlinked – between the Afghan Government, Afghan society and armed groups, and neighbors in the region and involved actors around the globe. 
  • Strong commitment of regional partners and key stakeholders vital for Peace and security in accordance with the international norms and conventions. 
  • Peace-building aims to resolve the root causes of conflict, build trust, and provide durable incentives to sustain peace in Afghanistan and in the region.

As the International community work to define a workable and agreeable framework, it is important to ask some basic questions.

Why has the Peace Remained So Elusive in Afghanistan? What is different about the #KabulProcess that it would work now?

The Afghan Government’s #KabulProcess document does not address important questions: 

  1. Who represents tens of thousands of victims of a war supported and financed by ‘neighbors and involved actors’ wreaking havoc on Afghan society?
  2. Who has the authority to forgive on behalf of victims — from Legal, ‘Sharia’ codified in Afghan Laws, Tribal Jirgas such as ‘Pashtun Wali’ or ‘International Criminal Court’ standpoint?  
  3. With billions of foreign aid flowing into the coffers of those close to Afghan Government, the corruption has become an art — ARG surrounds itself with ‘old guards’ from all ethnic groups, using their influence to undermine individuals in their respective communities. How then the International community expect a poor Pashtun, Hazara, Uzbek, Tajik, or any other ethnic minority, to stand up when the opponent is the like of ‘Butcher of Kabul’ welcomed by the very Government elected to protect the lives and dignity of her citizens?   
  4. When the President of neighboring country publicly says its ‘Powerful Secret Agency cultivated Taliban,’ then the entire movement becomes ‘foreign mercenary.’ How can a foreign-entity fighting on behalf of foreign-government –involved in mass killing of Afghan citizens– be allowed and welcomed as stakeholder in future Afghan Government?  
  5. How does the #KabulProcess address accusations that the entire process is a facade only to legitimize ARG’s ethnic-kin? 

The questions from the intensely-persecuted and marginalized Hazaras are at a much deeper level. Whereas the scope of #KabulProcess appears to be ‘Peace between warring factions,’ the Hazaras are directly accusing the ARG — the current government and the institution — as the key player orchestrating the ‘attack’ while closing every escape route for Hazaras. Some of the key questions are:

  1.  How does the #KabulProcess address genocide, slavery, forced displacement of Hazaras from entire provinces, and ARG’s past and present polices specifically designed to single out and target Hazaras? 
  2. If #KabulProcess is ‘in accordance with the International norms and conventions’ then why the International community appears to be colluding with the ARG in shunning the calls of millions of Hazaras for the ‘Truth & Reconciliation’ as part of any peace process?
  3. How can the Presidential ARG — driven by one Ethnic group’s fascist policies — be ‘the driver’ behind #KabulProcess when it stands accused with extremely serious violations of Human Rights of its citizens?  

 

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