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Indonesia ‘deeply concerned’ over violence in Afghanistan
The speed of the Taliban advance has dimmed the prospects of the peace process that Jakarta helped mediate and has sparked recriminations over the withdrawal of international forces, which has left the Afghan government to fend for itself.
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Afghan security forces stand near an armored vehicle amid clashes with Taliban fighters in the Busharan area on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, on May 5. (AFP/Sifatullah Zahidi)
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ndonesia has expressed “deep concern” over escalating violence in Afghanistan, as Taliban fighters continue to capture provincial capitals following the withdrawal of United States-led international forces from the country.
The militant insurgency seized its ninth provincial capital in a week on Thursday amid warnings from US intelligence that the capital Kabul could fall into the hands of the Taliban within 90 days, news agencies reported.
The speed of the group’s advance has dimmed the prospects of the peace process that Jakarta helped mediate and has sparked recriminations over the foreign military withdrawal, which has left the Afghan government to fend for itself.
With the last of the foreign forces set to depart by the end of the month, the Taliban have taken control of around two thirds of the country in a multi-front offensive that began in May.
The Foreign Ministry’s director general for Asian, Pacific and African affairs, Abdul Kadir Jailani, said Indonesia was deeply concerned by the continued increase in violence in Afghanistan and expressed hope that dialogue between the Afghan state and the Taliban could continue.
“We hope that all parties refrain from violence and conflict and continue the peace talks. We hope that [the solution] will be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and so Indonesia is ready to play an active role to support that,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
International meetings are being convened in Qatar this week to increase pressure on all sides to resume talks, with representatives from the US, Russia, China and Pakistan meeting in Doha under what is officially known as “extended troika”, news wires reported.
