The regime of the Islamic Emirate, as it calls itself, has two objectives: the most symbolic is to obtain diplomatic recognition. No country has done so so far. And the most urgent thing is to obtain the release of international aid and funds from the Afghan Central Bank. For three weeks, the Taliban have therefore multiplied attempts at diplomatic negotiation to achieve this.
Latest initiative to date, since this Sunday, February 13, in Doha in Qatar: the Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, is on site to discuss with the Gulf countries and the Europeans. Previously, another negotiation had taken place in Geneva. And at the end of January, it was in Oslo, Norway. International aid accounts for two-thirds of the country’s budget. And everything has been frozen for six months. The same goes for Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves, nearly ten billion dollars, three-quarters of which were seized outright by the United States on February 11.
The Taliban’s argument is to say that it is urgent to release these funds, given the humanitarian situation. But the international community wants guarantees in return for women’s rights and freedom of expression. The fact is that the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. Today is the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world with Yemen. Of the 38 million inhabitants of the country, 23 million are threatened by famine, ie 55% of the population. Official estimate of the UN which also pleads for an easing of sanctions because of this dramatic situation. And it gets worse week by week.
According to a report by the NGO Save the Children published on February 14, one Afghan family in three no longer has any resources. A million children are forced to work to try to bring in some money for food. The NGO specifies that the problem is not the shortage of food: food can be found in the markets. The problem is that people have nothing to pay.
But the counterparties from the Taliban are slow to come. The regime makes oral commitments, makes promises on the respect of rights. And gives some signals, some tokens of goodwill. For example, on February 13, four feminist activists who had been missing for three weeks after denouncing the wearing of the burqa were released. A few female students here and there were also able to return to university.
But overall, women’s rights are once again largely flouted: girls are turned away from the education system and fall back on clandestine schools. Women are excluded from public employment and must be accompanied by a man for all significant journeys. It’s no better on the freedom of expression side. More 50 media professionals were arrested according to a Reporters Without Borders report. Many of them were beaten up. More than 80 radio stations have stopped broadcasting in the country. In other words, the Taliban make promises to try to obtain the release of international aid. But actions contradict words.