NRF Leader Criticises UN Plan in Moscow, Warns of Worsening Afghan Crisis
At the Moscow conference, Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), criticised the United Nations' special assessment as "flawed" and "inadequate."
At the Moscow conference, Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF), criticised the United Nations' special assessment as "flawed" and "inadequate."
Massoud expressed concerns that the endorsement of the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan, Feridun Sinirlioğlu’s proposal, could exacerbate Afghanistan's situation. This plan, presented to the UN Security Council and endorsed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, suggests that international compliance and steps towards a comprehensive constitution could normalise relations with the Taliban, including a pathway for their recognition.
However, Massoud, speaking at the "Afghanistan Between Past and Future" conference, remarked that Afghanistan has become a 'Talibanistan'. He emphasised that a government which disrespects its own people is unlikely to uphold international laws or respect other nations. Massoud, a prominent anti-Taliban figure, proposed a referendum in Afghanistan to decide the country's political future, alongside elections to form a people's government, as potential solutions.
He highlighted the Taliban's historical non-compliance with agreements, except for the Doha Agreement, and warned of the perils of international recognition of the Taliban without considering Afghan public opinion, predicting further destabilisation.
Other participants at the Moscow meeting included notable figures like Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Afghanistan People's Unity Party, Mahmoud Saiqal, former Afghan representative to the UN, Fazal Ahmed Manawi, ex-Justice Minister of Afghanistan, Zahir Agbar, Afghanistan's ambassador to Tajikistan, and numerous other distinguished personalities.
The meeting was convened by Sergey Mironov, leader of the Just Russia Party, known for its close association with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
