RASC News Agency: Daud Naji, head of the Committee on Political Affairs and Public Relations of the Afghanistan Liberation Front, has accused the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and several other international organizations of inadvertently reinforcing the authority of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader. Naji contended that from the very beginning, it was evident that engaging with the Taliban was a misguided approach, one that could never lead to the desired outcomes for Afghanistan, the region, or the broader international community.
According to him, UNAMA has consistently pursued policies that have, whether intentionally or not, played into the hands of the Taliban. On Tuesday, March 11, in response to recent remarks by Rosa Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, Naji posted a statement on X, denouncing the UN’s past engagement strategies. “Regrettably, at that time, there was no willingness to listen. Not only was invaluable time wasted, but UNAMA’s indecisive and ambivalent policies along with the broader global approach ultimately empowered Mullah Hibatullah, further entrenching his rule,” he wrote.
Naji stressed that UNAMA had actively sought to facilitate the Taliban’s global recognition, yet despite its efforts, it has failed to achieve its intended objectives. Nevertheless, he welcomed the fact that some nations have now gained a more accurate understanding of the Taliban’s true nature. “The time has come for regional countries to also acknowledge this reality,” he stated, emphasizing that an increasing number of governments are now recognizing the dangers posed by the Taliban regime. Naji further warned: “This realization must occur before the ‘terrorist monstrosity’ spreads its lethal venom across the entire region.”
Previously, Rosa Otunbayeva, in her address to the United Nations Security Council, admitted that political engagement with the Taliban has thus far yielded no tangible results and that the window for further diplomatic negotiations is rapidly closing.
