The divided government stance on peace has long been a major barrier to the political settlement of Afghan conflict. Government leaders not only often contradict each other’s positions on peace, but they are also at loggerheads with political leaders outside the government over peace. Arg or the Presidential Palace, Office of the Chief Executive and the High Peace Council (HPC) are not on the same page on peace process. Before engaging with the Taliban, the government has to first internally adopt a unified stance, then try to seek common ground with all political leaders outside the government, and finally reach a consensus on how to proceed with peace talks with the Taliban.
One of the reasons behind the government’s unclear, divided stance is the ambiguity surrounding the ongoing peace talks between Americans and the Taliban. The statements of President Ghani and the position of the government in general suggest that they have been kept in the dark about ongoing peace talks between US and Taliban interlocutors. Afghan administration appears to have not been briefed by Americans on progress of talks as it should have been as a government. It has infuriated President Ghani, and of course it is his right to be kept apprised of all developments and details as he is representing one party to the conflict. But despite his outrage, the president cannot adopt a tough stance against Washington either for fear of straining his relations with Americans or hoping to stay in power. He has been trying different approaches to implicitly convey his message and discontent to Americans without incensing them, but such ambiguous posture is provoking concerns among Afghans. The president better clearly explain to people what is going on between Taliban and Americans in Qatar. If the US-Taliban talks in Doha are meant to bring peace to Afghanistan, it is better to assure Afghan nation that they don’t pose a threat to the future of the country, and so there is nothing to worry about. If the president is certain that the United States, Pakistan and Taliban are trying to make decisions about Afghanistan that threaten the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and future, not only he should stand out against them as a person in charge of the country, but also inform the nation of the potential conspiracy.
The president in particular and the government in general must avoid making ambiguous remarks with regard to peace. The ambiguity surrounding US-Taliban talks also needs to be cleared up. While it is understandable that all details of the peace talks cannot be made public, Afghan nation as the primary victim of the war reserves the right to know the details of the talks to an extent that doesn’t jeopardize the process.