Afghanistan is spinning out of control. These were the words of the UN chief Gutteres as he called for an immediate halt to the Taliban offensive. Afghans are in disbelief as the insurgents have taken 18 out of 34 districts in just eight days and are gradually marching towards the capital Kabul.
The United States and other Western governments are scurrying to shut down embassies and evacuate staff. Afghan forces are left to defend the nation themselves and have immediately surrendered to the Taliban. The US government maintains the Afghan army is well-equipped to fight the Taliban onslaught but the ground situation raises questions on the billions spent on reforming the security forces. Afghan soldiers have hardly put up a fight and some even joined the group while thousands of policemen have abandoned their posts in recent months.
The stability and security have also cast a shadow of Ashraf Ghani’s government. He refuses to resign as it could worsen the situation, vowing to prevent violence and displacement of Afghan people. Countries are bracing for an influx of refugees. There have been clashes along the Pakistan border as people flee violence. The reality is that Afghanistan might be on course to become a failed state on the brink of civil war.
The Taliban have not agreed to a ceasefire and the peace talks in Doha have produced few results as the armed group made rapid gains on the ground. Afghans feel betrayed as the fall of two of the largest cities, Herat and Kandahar, took a turning point in the violent battle between government forces and the Taliban. Within days, the entire nation could be under the Taliban’s control.
The US is being held responsible for abruptly withdrawing from Afghanistan with concluding the peace process. After two decades of war and spending two trillion dollars, the situation remains the same. The US failed to rebuild the country and the massive corruption rendered all institutions dysfunctional. All gains with regards to human rights and women’s education have been erased. The US has walked out in a mess just it did in Iraq and leaving Afghanistan as yet another failed state.
