Switzerland Returns To Afghanistan Despite Taliban Recognition Issues

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Political isolation of the Taliban by the international community has failed. It is the Afghan people, in particular girls and women, who are suffering from sanctions. Many states are now softening their policy and communicating with the Taliban, at least for humanitarian purposes. Switzerland is one of them. What exactly is going on?

This content was published on September 19, 2024 - 09:00 8 minutes Julian Busch

• Deutsch de Niemand will die Taliban anerkennen. Und doch kehrt die Schweiz zurück nach Afghanistan Original Read more: Niemand will die Taliban anerkennen. Und doch kehrt die Schweiz zurück nach Afghanista
• Italiano it Nessuno vuole riconoscere il governo talebano. Eppure la Svizzera sta per tornare in Afghanistan Read more: Nessuno vuole riconoscere il governo talebano. Eppure la Svizzera sta per tornare in Afghanista
• Português pt Sanções ao Talibã falham e forçam países a reavaliar estratégias de ajuda Read more: Sanções ao Talibã falham e forçam países a reavaliar estratégias de ajud
• العربية ar لا أحد يرغب في الاعتراف بطالبان لكنّ سويسرا ستعود إلى أفغانستان مجدّدًا Read more: لا أحد يرغب في الاعتراف بطالبان لكنّ سويسرا ستعود إلى أفغانستان مجدّدً
• 中文 zh 没有国家愿意承认塔利班政权,瑞士却将重返阿富汗 Read more: 没有国家愿意承认塔利班政权,瑞士却将重返阿富

It was a dramatic turning point, the images of which are still etched in our memories today: thousands of people storming the tarmac of Kabul airport in summer 2021, trampling each other in desperation and clinging to the wings of planes taking off. Within days, the Taliban had wrested back control of Afghanistan after nearly two decades, while the international community beat a hasty retreat.

To date, no country in the world has officially recognised the new rulers, which once more hold Afghanistan in an iron grip. Right after the takeover, the world community agreed to isolate the regime internationally. Since then, official recognition and the establishment of diplomatic relations have been tied to respect for human rights, especially those of girls and women, and the formation of an inclusive government.

Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Taliban's isolation is crumbling

Three years on, this consensus is showing signs of erosion. While many Western states still staunchly oppose any relations with the Taliban, a growing number of governments are establishing official or informal contacts with them, according to research published by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. These include not just Russia and China but also Western states such as Norway and the United Kingdom.

As for Switzerland, it is set to become one of the first European countries to return to Afghanistan, thanks to plans to reopen the former office of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) this autumn, to coordinate humanitarian aid.

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