Mahmoud Saikal, Afghanistan’s former representative to the United Nations, says that the Taliban have benefited from the opportunities and concessions provided in the Doha process over the past years, but in return, they have shown no significant progress in terms of political participation and moving toward an inclusive political system.
Saikal said on Thursday, September 24, at a side event of the United Nations General Assembly on the future of Afghanistan that the Doha process was formed based on the 2023 independent assessment, and its goal was to use incentives to encourage the Taliban to change their political approach and behavior.
According to him, the Taliban have participated in and used some parts of this process, including working groups related to counter-narcotics and the private sector, but the issue of political participation remains without progress.
He also expressed concern about holding regional meetings on Afghanistan without the presence of representatives of the country.
Referring to the meeting of foreign ministers of neighboring countries, the Moscow format, regional security meetings, and the contact group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, he said that deciding the future of Afghanistan without the presence of its citizens, especially women, cannot reflect the views of Afghan society.
Saikal emphasized that the future political process of Afghanistan must truly be under the leadership and ownership of the citizens of this country, and this principle should not be repeated only in official documents and declarations.
In another part of his remarks, he stated that over the past five years, groups and coalitions opposed to the Taliban, despite limited resources, have held meetings in various countries, including Austria, Turkey, Britain, Qatar, Germany, Russia, Tajikistan, and Albania.
According to Saikal , the purpose of these meetings has not been the same; some were held for the exchange of views, and others were dedicated to discussing values, common perspectives, and how to engage politically among different currents.
