RASC News Agency: The Taliban in Afghanistan face significant challenges in establishing their role in regional security and economic development. Following their takeover in 2021, the Taliban aimed to position Afghanistan as a hub for trade and connectivity among neighboring countries through a policy of neutrality. However, skepticism and concerns from neighboring countries have posed serious obstacles to these aspirations.
In the early months of Taliban rule, no foreign government or international organization was willing to recognize the group without demanding concessions, particularly concerning women’s rights and other humanitarian issues. This condition for recognition created divisions within the Taliban, with one faction in Kabul favoring engagement with the West, while the hardline Kandahari faction, led by Hibatullah Akhundzada, rejected Western pressures.
Regional countries have criticized the Taliban’s discriminatory policies against women and opted to engage with Kabul on specific issues, though this engagement does not equate to full recognition of the Taliban regime. Diplomatic and economic relations with the region hinge on the Taliban’s consistent and earnest efforts to address the concerns of their neighbors.
Afghanistan’s tumultuous history continues to draw attention from a security perspective, particularly due to the presence of transnational jihadist groups like ISIS-Khorasan and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Neighboring countries have expressed concerns about the Taliban’s inability to control these groups.
Despite the Taliban’s efforts to secure economic support from regional countries, the absence of a legal framework and Western economic sanctions have hampered private investment, leaving millions of Afghanistanis in severe poverty. Under such circumstances, practical steps towards regional cooperation will face significant barriers without Western support and endorsement.
Until the Taliban regime respects human rights, global recognition is unlikely, and Afghanistan is expected to remain under Taliban control for years. To alleviate the suffering of millions of Afghanistanis, the Taliban must reassess their stance and, in the spirit of the Doha Agreement, extend a sincere hand to the world.
