The
Miraculous Conclusion of the Bonn Meeting
By:
Dr. G. Rauf Roashan
Abstract: The Afghans had to pay dearly in physical destruction
of their country and precious lives to get to the stage where
the United States and the world, safeguarding their own
interests, inadvertently helped put them on the road to
democracy, freedom and justice for all after a tyrannical rule
of a reactionary, stubborn and dictatorial group namely the
Taleban. What is needed of the Afghans at this stage is to take
up the path to unity rather than division and to start on their
long march to democracy with great prudence and awareness of the
hurdles and obstacles their selfish neighbors and others may lay
in their way.
At last in about a week and a day a diverse
group of Afghans were able to chalk out the formula for
salvation of their homeland. The formula seems workable. It
provides for Interim Council of some 30 members to take up the
affairs of the government effective December 22, 2001, for a
period of six months. Leader and members of the Council were
also selected from among the membership of the participating
delegations. One of the members has been recognized as
independent. The membership represents Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras
and Pashtuns. It includes two women as well. The composition may
not be proportionate to the country’s population, but at this
stage this fact may not be important either. It is an interim
administration that will be followed by a transitional
government that will be chosen by an Emergency Loya Jirga. It is
hoped that the transitional government will be more
representative. But what is important is the following:
- Hopes are high that finally peace could
return-full fledged- to the land of the Afghans.
- A reactionary, stubborn and suppressive
tyrannical group has been toppled, opening the way for working
on reconstruction, rehabilitation and progress.
- Grounds have been paved for the delivery
of most urgent humanitarian assistance to great masses of
population in Afghanistan who live under the threat of
starvation due to famine and are further threatened by the
elements and diseases.
- The road has also been paved for the
voluntary return of the Afghan refugees back home.
- Organizations of social service,
education and health could start reorganizing to meet the
immediate needs of the Afghans.
- The United Nations and the international
community have expressed readiness to render much needed help
for the reconstruction of the devastated country.
- Nucleus of a democratic government has
been laid down and building on it could start as early as the
next day.
But Afghanistan has paid dearly to reach
this stage. Physical destruction of unprecedented dimensions,
loss of precious lives, misery, hunger, internal displacement
and taking of refuge to foreign lands have been some of prices
the Afghans have paid before getting to the stage where the
United States and the world by defending their own interests
inadvertently served the interests of the Afghans as well. Now
that one of the two objectives of the United States namely the
defeat of the Taleban regime has been achieved, as a side
benefit the road has been paved for the Afghan nation to start
on the way of taking control of its own destiny. This would
happen over the course of the coming months and years, but it
would come. What is required of the nation at this stage is
showing wisdom and prudence.
So while the Afghans welcome with certain
reservations the miraculous achievement of the Bonn meeting and
its timely decisions, they remain hopeful for a brighter future,
which shall and must be based on democratic principles of
freedom and justice for all.
It is also time for the all Afghans to
choose the path of unity rather than division and to start their
long march to democracy wiser than ever and more aware of the
hurdles and obstacles that their selfish neighbors or others may
put in their way. 12/08/01