The test of power remains delicate for the former rebels. Five months following the overthrow of the Afghan government, the Taliban are still in search of international legitimacy and support to stem the spiral of hunger and unemployment plaguing the country.
While several countries have kept their embassies open in Kabul, none has yet officially recognized the new authorities, waiting to see how the fundamentalists intend to govern Afghanistan, following the many excesses during their first passage to power between 1996 and 2001.
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In the hope of breaking this isolation, a Taliban delegation began a three-day visit to Oslo, Norway, on Sunday January 23, the first trip to Europe since their accession to power. After discussions with journalists and Afghans in exile, exchanges will continue with representatives of the United States (which froze 8.3 billion euros in assets of the Afghan Central Bank), and those of certain members of the European Union.
The Taliban will plead for the return of aid in a country where nearly one inhabitant in two suffers from hunger and where the salaries of civil servants, who depended 80% on Western support, are no longer paid.
The wait-and-see attitude of the mullahs’ allies
Europeans and Americans condition aid and especially recognition of the regime on the establishment of an inclusive government and respect for women’s rights, while two activists disappeared in Kabul this week and restrictions on Afghan women are increasing.
→ ANALYSIS. In Afghanistan, the rights of women in great suffering
“But we have to talk to the authorities who are de facto running the country. We cannot allow the political situation to lead to an even greater humanitarian disaster”, said the head of Norwegian diplomacy, Anniken Huitfeldt, who is leading the meeting. Sign of openness, a European team has relocated to the Afghan capital this week to facilitate the delivery of emergency aid.
The Taliban have also urged Muslim countries to come out of their cautious wait-and-see attitude. Even countries traditionally very close to the mullahs, starting with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have not yet recognized the new rulers of Kabul.
In December 2021, members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called on the Afghan executive to comply with international obligations regarding women’s rights, the first step towards full recognition.
“It would be a mistake to inflict collective punishment on Afghans just because the de facto authorities are not behaving well”, warned the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, who launched an appeal for aid of 4.4 billion euros. To date, donors are not rushing.
