Qatar mediates the formation of a Taliban government that has legitimacy

Qatar is mediating for the formation of a new government in Afghanistan, after the Taliban seized power.

Qatari special envoy Motlaq Bin Majid al Qahtani has met in Kabul with representatives of these fundamentalists and with political leaders outside them, such as former President Hamid Karzai, to promote a political system that allows their international recognition.

It remains to be seen whether he manages to win the game over Pakistan, which supports the most radical sector of the group, much less inclined to make concessions.

Both Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Council for National Reconciliation, have shared photos of their meeting with Al Qahtani through social media.

The goal, according to Karzai, is to achieve "a system with national and international legitimacy that reflects the desire of the Afghans."

Abdullah, for his part, thanks Qatar for its "continued efforts for peace."

... صورت گرفت هر دو طرف بر یک پروسهی سیاسی یی تاکید کردند که در نتیجه آن یک نظام دارای مشروعیت ملی و بینالمللی بوجود آمده و خواست و اراده مردم افغانستان در آن منعکس گردد.

- Hamid Karzai (@KarzaiH) August 25, 2021

There are no images of Al Qahtani's appointment with the Taliban, but Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed Bin Abdulrahman al Thani said this week that his country had "responded to a request to mediate," without specifying. by whom.

"There are many efforts behind the scenes," confides a Qatari diplomat.

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For Ali Bakir, a professor at the Ibn Khaldon Center of the University of Qatar, this is an extension of the "crucial role it played in the agreement between the US and the Taliban" last year.

“Qatar believes that there must be a peaceful transition of power together with a political agreement that takes into account all the Afghan parties.

That requires the parties to dialogue and that is what Doha is helping with, "he explained in an exchange of messages.

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Qatar hosted a Taliban political office eight years ago, allowing the wealthy Gulf State to establish good relations with its political leaders. Hence its involvement both in the agreement in which Washington committed itself to the militia to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, and in the intra-Afghan negotiations that followed. However, they failed to prevent the Taliban advance on the ground and the disintegration of the Ashraf Ghani government.

Faiz Mohammad Zaland, an Afghan analyst close to the Taliban who is quoted by Shamshad News, assures that “a Bonn-style conference is being held in Qatar, in which all politicians join the Taliban and announce the formation of a new Government ”. In December 2001, after US intervention toppled the first Taliban regime, Bonn hosted the UN-sponsored conference of Afghan leaders at which Karzai was appointed to head the interim government.

For the moment, the Qatari authorities maintain the discretion on the content of the contacts. "We firmly believe that a comprehensive political solution that brings stability and security to Afghanistan is only possible through diplomacy and dialogue," said Sheikh Thamer al Thani, Deputy Director of the Government Communication Office. For this spokesperson, "it is also important that it be achieved as soon as possible, safeguarding the advances of the past and without compromising the security of the Afghans." As Al Jazeera reported this Friday from Taliban sources, the militiamen have asked Doha for help to keep Kabul airport operational.

The Taliban, who since entering Kabul have tried to present a moderate image, have said they want to form an inclusive government and made gestures towards minorities. However, the allegations of abuse by their militia members are reminiscent of the brutal regime they imposed between 1996 and 2001, when the US intervention threw them out of power. At best, there is a significant gap between the plans of political leaders and the expectations of their fighters and supporters.

According to Bakir, "Qatar believes that the Taliban have to meet certain requirements to ensure a secure and stable Afghanistan, on the one hand, and gain international recognition from the next government, on the other."

Western countries' concern ranges from the country not once again becoming a haven for terrorists, as Thursday's attack raises, until the new authorities respect human rights, particularly those of women.

European diplomatic sources are skeptical about the possibilities of Doha.

“The key role is now played by Pakistan.

Qatar has carried out unsuccessful mediation for months, ”says an interlocutor.

The crucial role of the Pakistani military weighs in this regard, from the origins of the Taliban movement in the 1990s until its entry into Kabul on the 15th. Its secret services have provided Afghan militiamen with training, logistics and bases. of retreat during all this time, creating strong ties with the guerrilla leaders. Islamabad's risky gamble has much to do with its rivalry with India and the desire to deny it a presence on its western border.

Bakir admits that "Doha does not have the instruments to pressure the Taliban."

Still, as the group seeks international recognition and financial assistance, Qatar is a more attractive alternative to Pakistan.

But you also have to count on other factors.

Iran, Russia and China, which have celebrated the US exit, have their own interests.

Beijing undoubtedly prefers Pakistan, where it has significant investments.

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