New Afghan government and its international donors

President Ashraf Ghani and the Executive Chief of the govt. Dr. Abdullah participated in the conference of the foreign ministers of NATO in Brussels. Though some analysts believe that President Ashraf Ghani’s participation in the conference of the foreign ministers of NATO was unreasonable due to the protocol; but due to their idea, Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Participated in the conference for attracting foreign aids.

On the other hand, the conference of the foreign ministers was also valuable because of the end of the military mission of NATO in Afghanistan, and the topic of the conference which was preparation of the new mission in Afghanistan.

Some other Afghan Officials also joined Dr. Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah in their visit to Brussels, who later on participated in the conference of London.

New NATO mandate

Since 2001, NATO, with its greatest alliances in its history that was made of 50 countries, joined the U.S. and attacked Afghanistan. Since that time up to 2010 the overall forces of NATO that were in Afghanistan were 130 thousands, which will decline to 12,500 up to the beginning of 2015 based on the signed security agreement.

The Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg declared the new mission of NATO in Afghanistan by the name of Serious Support, in the conference of foreign ministers of NATO, which will start by the end of 2014 and start of 2015.

Though it is planned that after one month the operational mission of NATO will end in Afghanistan and their new mission which is advisory and Afghan Security Forces training will start; but as the security all around the country is getting worse, and only in Kabul city there were nine attacks in last two weeks, raise the question that will be the Afghan Security Forces able to secure the country, and will be they able to prevent such attacks? It is clear from the ideas of the Afghan Security Officials that even after the end of the operational mission of NATO, they will ask the foreign forces for cooperation in their operations to support the Afghan Security Forces in battles; because the Afghan Security Forces are not trained and equipped in last thirteen years as it was expected.

On the other hand, the Secretary General of NATO also said that after the completion of the operational mission of NATO, the Afghan Security Forces will face with serous attacks of the Taliban, and in some ways, NATO predict insecurity in Afghanistan. In the pessimistic and optimistic environment between Afghanistan and NATO, related to the upcoming security condition of the country, it seems that the training mission of NATO in Afghanistan would be impossible, which means the continuation of war in the country.

Meanwhile, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Nicholas Haysom state in the NATO conference that the resolution for the Afghanistan’s issues is not war, but diplomatic ways of resolution; but before finding diplomatic resolution for the issue, the military existence of the U.S. and NATO in Afghanistan only and only means continuation of war, not the diplomatic resolution and peace.

President Ashraf Ghani, in his speech, blamed NATO that it has been fighting in Afghanistan only for its own goals in Afghanistan since 2001, and the same challenges in the Afghanistan still remain the same. He also expressed his concern about the future of the NATO war in Afghanistan during his presidency.

In the conference, in addition to the issue of Afghanistan, the issue of Ukraine was also seriously discussed, and it seems that NATO is more concerned about the creation of new alliances in Europe against Russia, and tries just to keep up its existence in Afghanistan. The Secretary General of NATO also stated in the conference, “We defence our alliances, and cooperate our friends”.

London Conference

Since 2001 up to now there are many conferences held related to Afghanistan, among which the conferences of first and second Bonn, Rome, Paris, Germany, Kabul, the Heart of Asia, Chicago, Tokyo, and now London were the important ones of them, and in the mentioned conferences Afghanistan was granted more than 80 billion dollar aids.

In the conference of London representatives of more than 70 countries and international organizations spoke about the future of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO from this country. But this conference was a part of the Tokyo conference that was waiting for correspondence about a better governance and administration, and giving end to corruption in Afghanistan; because, not only internationals but also Afghans are concerned about the misuse of the international aids, and massive corruption in Afghanistan.

Though, President Ghani declared his policy toward good governance and struggle against corruption in the conference of London; but the dispute between him and Dr. Abdullah caused suspension in the declaration of cabinet before the conference of London. As they were not able to declare the cabinet before the conference of London, it seems that it will have negative impacts over gaining international aids. It was also the condition in the conference of Tokyo, which was held in 2012, that the condition of international aids for Afghanistan is good governance and struggle against corruption, and the secretary general once again clarified the condition in the conference of London that they promises aids with the Afghan Forces; but the Afghan Government should also stand on its promises.

Tens of Afghan Civil Society Activists also participated in the conference of London, who are optimist for the influence of the conference, and the U.S. foreign minister also promised that Afghanistan will become a regional power. But, overall Afghans are concerned about the future of a corporation-like government, and the promised aids of the conference to Afghanistan seems to be useless. Participation of two equal leaders of one country in the conference of London, strengthen their concerns.

President Ghani, in his speech, said that the poor economic condition of the country is the main challenge for Afghanistan; but currently Afghanistan needs peace and security, because the insecurity reached its peak compared to last approximately one decade; but from the inauguration and the attempts of the new government it seems that the doors of security and peace are being closed toward Afghans.

The End