Taliban Leaders
Representatives of Afghanistan’s Taliban government commenced meetings on Sunday with United Nations officials and special envoys in Doha, marking a significant diplomatic engagement since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
The two-day meeting hosted by the UN in Qatar represents the third such gathering in Doha in just over a year, but it is the first to include Taliban authorities.
According to an unnamed UN spokesperson cited by AFP, preliminary discussions began with separate meetings between UN representatives and numerous special envoys, alongside the Taliban delegation led by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
Among the attendees were over 20 envoys, including the US special representative to Afghanistan. The discussions were intended to address enhanced engagement with Afghanistan and coordinated responses to various issues, including economic matters and efforts against narcotics trafficking.
Since the Taliban’s assumption of power, the international community has grappled with its approach to the new Afghan rulers.
The Taliban government in Kabul has not received official recognition from any other government, and its governance has imposed stringent interpretations of Islamic law, particularly affecting women, which the UN has described as “gender apartheid.”
Initially excluded from earlier UN talks, the Taliban authorities demanded sole representation for Afghan delegates, a condition that led to the exclusion of civil society groups from the current discussions. These groups are now slated to meet separately on Tuesday.
Ahead of the UN meeting, Taliban foreign ministry official Zakir Jalaly insisted that any discussions after Monday would be considered unrelated to the official agenda.
This exclusion of civil society organizations has drawn criticism from various quarters, including women’s rights activists who fear legitimizing the Taliban’s gender-based restrictions.
During a news conference in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged international concerns regarding women’s rights but emphasized that these were internal Afghan matters to resolve.
Analysts like Hameed Hakimi highlighted the international community’s dual challenge of addressing humanitarian needs in Afghanistan while navigating diplomatic engagements with the Taliban government.
In recent years, international funding to Afghanistan has significantly decreased in response to the Taliban’s return to power, exacerbating the country’s economic challenges.
The ongoing discussions in Doha underscore a delicate balance for global policymakers, seeking to alleviate humanitarian crises while engaging with a regime that faces scrutiny for its human rights record and governance practices.
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