Afghanistan's chief peace negotiator Abdullah meets India's envoy amid war with Taliban

On July 26, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of, High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Afganistan, met Rudrendra Tandon, Indian Ambassador to Kabul. The top Afghan peace negotiator held reconciliation talks in Doha with Tandon to establish India's role in the comprehensive political settlement in the war-torn State.

Taking this to Twitter, Dr Abdullah shared, "Today I met the Indian Ambassador to Kabul HE Rudrendra Tandon. We discussed the peace process, talks in Doha, the importance of regional censuses in support of peace & the role of India. I thanked India for supporting a comprehensive political settlement in AFG."

What is High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Afghanistan?

Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) gained its legitimacy and legal basis from the political agreement signed between Dr Abdullah Abdullah and President Ashraf Ghani. This agreement was also supported by national and international institutions that aimed to eliminate the power and political deadlock in Afghanistan. HCNR was established by Hamid Karzai to negotiate with the elements of the Taliban. 

The key function of the Council is to attract international assistance on peace affairs and international consensus on post-peace reconstruction efforts of Afghanistan.

EAM S Jaishankar met Abdullah Abdullah

On July 23, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held talks with Dr Abdullah Abdullah on the ongoing Taliban-infused violence that is on the rise in Afghanistan. Assuredly, the situation in Afghanistan remains a predicament given the clash of power between the Taliban and Afghan forces.

Afghanistan has been reaching out to its key allies for support to strengthen its security forces. Afghanistan and India have close ties are due to the latter's massive investment in Afghanistan. India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. India, a close ally of Afghanistan, has provided it with at least five military helicopters amid the unrest. It has already invested nearly USD 3 billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country. 

Taliban-infused Afghanistan violence

Last week, US soldiers initiated airstrikes against Taliban terrorists as they marched on Kandahar. The Pentagon later confirmed that airstrikes were launched in Afghanistan by the US forces and 5 Taliban personnel were killed in the last 3 days subsequent to airstrikes. However, a clarification is due, if airstrikes continue post-US and NATO, troops will have to pack up from Afghanistan.

The United Nations Assistance Mission (UNAMA) in Afghanistan warned in a report released on Monday that civilian casualties in the first half of 2021 are projected to reach their highest in single-year levels since the mission began reporting over a decade ago. Reportedly, the Anti-government forces were responsible for 64% of civilian deaths. Pro-government troops are responsible for 25% of the deaths, while crossfire was responsible for 11%. Children accounted for 32% of all fatalities. The two sides are making little progress in their peace discussions. 

The US has pledged to withdraw to pull out US armed forces and NATO troops ending Washington's 18-year long war with the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks. The ongoing power crisis in Afghanistan is particularly volatile given the shift of reigns as US and NATO forces prepare to exit. The radical movement has ignited territorial advances and the Taliban is deemed to have captured large rural areas in northern Afghanistan. The military organisation seeks to make territorial gains in the State from May 1 as a significant chunk of the US troops and their base was evacuated. Currently, waging a war within the country, the Taliban is gaining more ground and is resorting to widespread violence to expand its influence across the country.

Picture Credit: Twitter/@DrabdullahCE