Conflict and Peace

The last US soldier has now left Afghanistan ending a costly and controversial two-decade presence in the country. But for the people of Afghanistan the future is very uncertain. It is also now clear that there are deep divisions in the international community with regard to how to engage further with the situation that has resulted from the swift Taliban take-over of the country.

France and the United Kingdom want to create a safe zone in the Afghan capital Kabul to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians under the protection of the United Nations. French president Emmanuel Macron has said that France will submit a resolution to this effect to the UN Security Council on Monday (30 August).

Both Georgia and Azerbaijan have been providing essential transit support for the evacuation from Kabul airport. 120 Azerbaijani soldiers returned back from Afghanistan on Friday (27 August) having been part of the defence of Kabul airport until the end. A larger Georgian contingent returned from the north of the country recently.

Very few people had heard of them before, but following the heinous attacks in the last twenty four hours against civilians crowding at the gates of Kabul airport in a desperate attempt to leave the country, everyone is talking about ISIS-K. More than ninety people died in the attacks, and many more were injured.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths warned on Monday (23 August) at a Security Council session that 5 million Yemenis are on the brink of famine. The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called the Houthis to accept a ceasefire without pre-conditions. 

Beijing can turn the situation in Afghanistan to its own advantage, argues Benyamin Poghosyan in this op-ed. Afghanistan has significant minerals, including rare earth metals, which China will be glad to import. Beijing  could also include Afghanistan in the “Belt and Road initiative” and use it as another land route towards Iran and the Central Asian republics via Pakistan, and through Iran via Turkey or via Armenia-Georgia-Black Sea route to Europe.