In Afghanistan, the failure of the American attempt to promote the “moderate” wing of the Taliban

The international community, occupied by the crisis in Ukraine and the Middle East, has not forgotten Afghanistan. He wisely tried, from May to February 2023, to bring this country out of isolation and reverse the medieval drift that began in the summer of 2021 after the Taliban returned to power. This strategy was also intended to avoid this area. Again becoming a haven for jihadist groups. Statements made by Afghan Islamist leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada at the end of Ramadan on April 10, however, somewhat dampened those hopes.

In May 2023, a UN resolution tasked the UN Special Coordinator with a six-month mission on ways to change the country, which has been ostracized by nations, especially for its policies of exclusion of women. This initiative came after the first public disagreements in the regime. On February 11, 2023, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqan confirmed that “The Islamic Emirate wanted a sincere relationship with the world and built a just and legitimate path”. Four days later, the defense minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the movement’s historic leader, Mullah Omar, called in his turn. “Create a government for all Afghans”.

By advocating compromise with foreigners and a more open government, these two figures in the movement, which was still very hierarchical, opposed “Emir” Akhundzada, the only ultra-strict proponent of the Koran. They also suggested the existence of different currents and therefore relays to consider. For security reasons, the United States has maintained a dialogue with Kabul to ensure that the Islamic State group does not gain a foothold in this inaccessible territory.

Meetings for several months

On July 30 and 31, 2023, the first high-level American delegation met with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar. It was here that the latter and the United States signed an agreement on the withdrawal of American soldiers from Afghanistan on February 29, 2020. These meetings continued for several months.

Among the main recommendations of the UN coordinator in November 2023 was the creation of a “Special Representative in Afghanistan”. The Taliban rejected the idea on the grounds that this role was already assumed by the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (MANUA), whose mandate was renewed twice, in 2023 and 2024, by the Security Council. For the most conservative of the Taliban regime, this meant extending the isolation measures for their country.