Afghan war: UN envoy doubts Taliban's intentions, says conflict entered 'deadlier' phase

The United Nations Special nvoy for Afghanistan, on Friday, questioned the Taliban’s commitment to a political settlement, telling the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the war has entered a “deadlier and more destructive phase”. Addressing the meet, which was conducted under the presidency of India, Deborah Lyons asserted that any party which is “genuinely committed” to a negotiated settlement would not risk so many civilian casualties, as it would know that increased bloodshed would only lead to difficulties in negotiations. As of now, more than 1,000 civilian casualties have been reported in Afghanistan. 

Taliban’s offensives first began after US President Joe Biden announced a complete retraction of American and foreign troops from the war-torn land. The fundamentalist group, which ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist in the 1990s, soon started gaining ground, seizing major cities and key border points. The offensives triggered a retaliatory reaction from the Afghan military which, supported by the US, launched targeted strikes at the insurgent’s hideouts. 

'Reminiscent of Syria'

Meanwhile, drawing comparisons between the Afghan situation and that of the war-torn middle east, Lyon reckoned that "This is now a different kind of war, reminiscent of Syria, recently, or Sarajevo, in the not-so-distant past.” To put it in perspective, both Syria and Sarajevo, which is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered from gruesome civil wars, leading to mass murders, detentions, and refugee crises. She said the United Nations expected both irregular and legal migration numbers to double this year.

"To attack urban areas is to knowingly inflict enormous harm and cause massive civilian casualties. Nonetheless, the threatening of large urban areas appears to be a strategic decision by the Taliban, who have accepted the likely carnage that will ensue," she said.

At the same meet, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), TS Tirumurti said that there should be zero tolerance for terrorism in any form or manifestations for peace to prevail in the war-stricken Afghanistan. He also said that that terrorist safe havens must be destroyed. On Friday, Tirumurti addressed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Afghanistan noting that it is essential to make sure Kabul and its neighbors are not threatened by terrorism among other issues.

Image: ANI