Potential intra-Afghan talks in UAE offer hope

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): Some Afghan politicians and the acting Defense Minister of the caretaker government have reached the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and US special envoy Thomas West is also expected to arrive in Abu Dhabi for intra-Afghan understanding.

The US Department of State has announced that special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West was travelling to Japan, India and the UAE.

West, who embarked on the eight-day on December 1, will consult with partners and Afghans on the humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan.

A statement from the State Department said the diplomat would discuss with his interlocutors the protection of Afghans’ rights and shared security concerns.

West would also engage with the Afghan diaspora, including human rights, business, political and medical leaders, on how to address the current challenges.

West will travel tomorrow (Monday) to India and then to the UAE.

Former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, after remaining for one and a half years in the country, finally left the country and reached the UAE yesterday.

Karzai has not commented about this trip, but his ex-Finance Minister, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, who is accompanying Karzai, on his Facebook said: “I am thrilled that after sometime again I have the privilege to travel alongside Former President Hamid Karzai. Coming back to the country is even thrilling, wishing to return soon”.

Yousuf Saha, media wing head of Hamid Karzai office, told Pajhwok Afghan News a week ago that Karzai wanted to travel to Germany in the beginning of December.

Acting Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqub left for the UAE at the head of a high-level delegation to meet UAE leaders and Afghans residing there and to strengthen ties between the Islamic Emirate and gulf countries, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense.

On the other hand, Indian media reported that UK prime minister’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Nigel Casey will arrive in New Delhi this week to discuss latest developments in Afghanistan with Indian officials. Casey will then head to the Middle East for consultations with his interlocutors on Afghanistan as well.

The ousted president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani is also living in the UAE. Some social media users said Ghani may also meet some politicians, but credible sources did not confirm it.

Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Afghan politicians, instead of talking to their own people, used to secretly meet in foreign countries.

He said the trip of Mullah Yaqub, Hamid Karzai and Zakhilwal shows that Afghans are re-uniting. He said a similar meeting involving Afghan politicians, US, European and Tajikistan representatives was held in Tajikistan some days ago.

Faqiri criticized the acting government’s policy of not entering intra-Afghan negotiations and as a result isolating itself.

But Qaribur Rahman Shahab, another analyst, linked such trips of the politicians to the rapidly evolving situation and developments in the region.

“Such trips are positive because the problems inside the country and with our neighbors are on the rise, we hope these efforts to bring some positive changes”, Faqiri added.

aw/ma