By:
Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
Abstract: Fateful
talks continue in Bonn in a majestic building on top of a hill
above the River Rhine. There were some ups and downs in these
historic talks about Afghanistan held among four groups who
claim they are representing the Afghan nation. Some hurdles
were experienced. But it seems that the Afghans have realized
the importance of this golden opportunity and have gone past the
original hurdles. It is now expected that the talks would reach
conclusive results on at least the issues of an interim
government, its form and composition as well as an international
peacekeeping force and its size and composition by the end of
Monday. Many observers share this optimism. Although in talks
of this nature that are truly complex and difficult, concrete
predictions are hard to make, yet indications are that
participants are determined to successfully conclude their
talks. And the world and especially the Afghan nation are
watching and waiting.
In the majestic Hotel Petersberg on the
hilltop near Bonn, complex and hard issues related to the fate
of a nation are being discussed. Down below, the Rhine flows in
its eternal journey to the sea, oblivious of the complexities
faced by a handful of Afghans selected to sit around in a
majestic hall and talk politics. At least two of the four groups
that participate in the talks support the former king of
Afghanistan, but “His Majesty” himself is away in Rome. The
participants, feeling the great burden of historic
responsibility, play their cards one by one with great care.
Major participants, all Moslems, are also fasting, as does the
UN facilitator Mr. Brahimi who shares their faith. The pressure
of history and politics coupled with the physical fatigue
arising from their long and sleepless working hours are observed
in the slow progress of their talks. Optimism and the fear of
failure alternate the atmosphere. For a novice in Afghan
issues, it may seem surprising that the talks have taken so long
and, but those who know Afghanistan and the Afghans, also know
that these are one of the most difficult talks in Afghan
contemporary history and need more time. The issues are related
to the immediate future of Afghanistan after the fall of
Taleban, the type and composition of an administration to fill
the vacuum of power, the issue of a legislature and most
important the shape, composition and the size of a peace keeping
force.
After an initial discussion of the need for
both an interim governing council and a larger body to function
as an interim legislature, due to many difficulties that arose
in the selection of members to each, the issue of the interim
parliament has been shelved and the selection of the interim
council for leading the government is on the table.
The Northern Alliance chief, Burhanuddin
Rabbani caused the initial hurdles in talks by objecting to the
formation of the council in Germany and also by opposing to the
establishment of an international peace keeping force. Both of
these two issues would jeopardize his and his party’s position.
From a position of power, as the victorious group who with the
direct help of the United States military, has defeated the
Taleban, and with his hold on the capital city and his grasp on
the organs of government in Afghanistan, he hesitated to make
any concessions. Perhaps he thought why should he?
The UN top diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi had to
call him in person from Bonn and encourage him to consider
concessions for the sake of peace and his homeland. Most recent
reports suggest that he has. His foreign minister Abdullah has
said that they now have no objection to either of the two
issues. He has further stated that there is no insistence on
the part of Rabbani to stay on as head of the government, but he
will be part of it.
With these hurdles over, hopes are now high
that the Bonn talks, which may last through Monday, will bear
fruits. The fruits of these talks would include agreement on the
establishment and composition of the interim council of some 20
members. It is suggested that the council would be headed by
the former King and will include in addition to some tribal
chieftains a number of technocrats. It is also suggested that
the council would include Haji Qadeer the strong Pashtun leader
who had left the talks a few days ago in protest against the
under-representation of Pashtuns in these talks. The concil will
then go to Kabul and take over.
The German government is already planning
appropriate concluding ceremonies at the end of the historic
talks worthy of the majesty of the site, the beauty of the Rhine
and the urgency of the implementation of the decisions of the
talks. After all a desperate nation is waiting.
So as the Rhine flows down below, official
looking caravan of cars would wind their way downhill heading
for the airports with a bunch of participants relieved of the
great burden of the talks they had carried with them upheld a
few days ago.
But the nation would still be awaiting the
fruits of the talks. They would wish their torn country united
once again. They would wish peace, real peace established in
their land. They would wish their own choice for their own
government and their own role in the determination of their own
fate to be upheld. They would want their own representatives
rather than those of parties and groups decide their fate. The
interim council can and must provide for this simple wish of the
people through arranging in the near future for democratic
processes to be put in motion for granting the nation its right
to electing its own representatives and representative
government.
And who knows, may be the Afghans would
wake up from their worst nightmare of the past quarter of a
century and find themselves in peace with themselves and with
the world at large and would remember that the impetus for this
peace was activated on a hill above Rhine, thousands of miles
away in Europe. 12/01/01