PARIS: The Taliban in Afghanistan have not yet shown any sign they are serious about ending their 17-year insurgency despite US efforts to push a fresh peace process, the country’s de facto prime minister said.
Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as “chief executive” of the unity government in Kabul, struck a far more skeptical tone about the prospects of a deal than his political rival, President Ashraf Ghani, and his Western counterparts.
Ghani said earlier this month it was “not a question of if, but when” an agreement would be reached with the Taliban, while the US envoy to the country even raised the possibility of a breakthrough before presidential elections in April.
“Recently there are renewed efforts in terms of the international community and especially the US,” Abdullah said during a wide-ranging interview in Paris that also covered his own political ambitions.
“We are not judging it too prematurely, but I would say that our experience as of now has been that they (the Taliban) have not shown any intention to get seriously engaged in the peace negotiations,” he added.
The comment on Wednesday came after the latest atrocity targeting civilians in Kabul when a bomber killed 55 people at a banquet hall at a ceremony to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.
Abdullah, a political veteran of the fight against Soviet forces in the 1980s and Taliban rule in the 90s, called it “beyond comprehension.”
Beleaguered Afghan security forces are also suffering an unprecedented level of casualties across the country where the Taliban and the Daesh group are stepping up attacks.
Returning to Kabul on Thursday after a three-day trip to France, Abdullah said he expected to be briefed fully about the latest round of talks between US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban, which are believed to have taken place in Qatar last week.
Whatever the outcome, he argued that Afghanistan should hold its presidential election as scheduled next April despite a recent upsurge in violence and suggestions from some that it should be delayed.
“My idea is to stick to the timing, make it work, because it’s part of the system and legitimacy of the system depends on the elections,” he said. “At the same time, continue the efforts on peace with full vigor.”
He downplayed any suggestion of a pre-election breakthrough with the Taliban.
“It will be very surprising if that happens, but should it happen ... that would be welcomed by the people of Afghanistan,” he added.
Abdullah has kept up suspense about his own political ambitions after twice running for president in 2009 and 2014 in campaigns that ended bitterly amid accusations of fraud.
After being beaten in 2014 by Ghani, Abdullah agreed to become prime minister of the unity government in a US-brokered deal — but the rivalry between the two men continues.
“I will actively be involved one way or another, but I have not made that final decision,” Abdullah said when asked if he would run in 2019.
Looking ahead to next April’s vote, Abdullah was candid about the lack of progress made in correcting the weaknesses in Afghanistan’s fraud-plagued electoral system.
He said he was “disappointed” by parliamentary elections in October, which were marred by a shambolic rollout of new biometric polling technology and missing or incomplete voter lists.
“Our expectations for the parliamentary elections and the conduct of them was much higher, and the people’s expectations were much higher,” he said.
There were thousands of complaints lodged against the Independent Electoral Commission, although four million voters did defy the security worries to turn out and cast a ballot.
The unity government had pledged to tackle problems that have repeatedly undermined faith in Afghan elections since the US-led invasion in 2001 overthrew the Taliban government in Kabul.
But Abdullah suggested that these efforts, like in other areas, have been hit by the fractious nature of decision-making in the multi-party government.
“It was the commitment of the unity government in 2014... that we will start implementing reforms. We started very late. Why did we do that?” he asked.
Abdullah’s defeats in 2009 and then again in 2014 — when he won the first round but slumped to a surprise defeat in the second — led to political crises which threatened to unravel the country’s fragile political system.
Should observers fear another tainted poll?
“There were a lot of lessons from the parliamentary elections. Should we and other relevant institutions deal with them thoroughly and seriously we can have and we should have better elections than in 2014,” he said.
Afghan Taliban not serious about peace, says government chief
Afghan Taliban not serious about peace, says government chief
- ‘Recently there are renewed efforts in terms of the international community and especially the US’
- ‘Our experience as of now has been that they (the Taliban) have not shown any intention to get seriously engaged in the peace negotiations’
Afghanistan hails Saudi ties as Taliban FM meets Kingdom’s envoy in Kabul
- In 1996-2001, Taliban rule was recognized by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE
- Saudi Embassy in Kabul has been reopened since December
KABUL: Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister has said ties with Saudi Arabia were “invaluable” to the country, following his first meeting with Riyadh’s new envoy in Kabul.
Amir Khan Muttaqi held talks with the Saudi Ambassador to Afghanistan Faisal Torki Al-Buqam on Sunday, less than a month since the Kingdom reopened its embassy in the Afghan capital.
“The meeting underlined matters related to expanding bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia,” Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Hafiz Zia Ahmad said in a statement.
“Welcoming the ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and calling Afghanistan-Saudi relations invaluable and historic, FM Muttaqi underscored the need to increase the exchange of delegations between the two countries.”
Saudi Arabia was among a host of nations that withdrew its diplomats from Kabul in August 2021, following the Taliban’s return to power and the withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan.
Though the Taliban are not officially recognized by any country in the world, Saudi Arabia has joined a number of foreign governments in resuming the work of its diplomatic mission in Kabul.
The Kingdom has been providing consular services for Afghans since November 2021 and resumed sending aid through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center later that same year.
“Our goal is to take advantage of the opportunities available to us,” Zakir Jalaly, director of the second political division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Arab News on Monday.
“We also welcomed the (reopening) of the Saudi embassy and expressed our desire to see increased cooperation between the two countries. Saudi Arabia’s religious, political, and regional position make relations with the country vital for Afghanistan.”
During the first Taliban stint in power in 1996-2001, their administration was recognized by three countries: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Since they retook control of Afghanistan, the Taliban administration has been working to gain international recognition and dealing on a bilateral level with regional countries, including India, China, Central Asian republics, as well as Gulf nations.
“Resuming diplomatic relations with another country like Saudi Arabia means further steps towards legitimacy and recognition of the Islamic Emirate,” Abdul Saboor Mubariz, board member of the Center for Strategic and Regional Studies in Kabul, told Arab News.
“Cooperation between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia can also be enhanced in other areas. For instance, Saudi Arabia needs a human workforce, and Afghanistan can cooperate in this regard in case of an agreement and facilitation of work visas for Afghans … Afghanistan can also encourage Saudi Arabia to invest in the country.”
Azizullah Hafiz, a political science lecturer at the Ghalib University in the western city of Herat, said the Kingdom was a “very important country” at the global and regional level.
“Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan have had very long relations. Like other nations in the Muslim world, Afghans look at Saudi Arabia as a leader of the Islamic world and, therefore, expect an active role from the country in Afghanistan,” Hafiz told Arab News.
Afghans also stand to benefit from critical humanitarian aid and development assistance, particularly through investment in infrastructure projects, he added.
“(The) presence of the Saudi ambassador in Kabul will facilitate direct engagement with the Afghan government and overcome concerns as it will also pave the way for enhanced cooperation in areas such as diplomacy, trade and investment.”
Mayor of opposition Istanbul stronghold arrested over bid-rigging claims
ISTANBUL: The mayor of one of Turkiye’s opposition strongholds was arrested Monday as part of a bid-rigging investigation, prosecutors in Istanbul said.
Riza Akpolat, who heads Besiktas municipality on the city’s European side, was detained at his summer house in Edremit on Turkiye’s west coast, private news agency DHA reported.
Besiktas has long been under the control of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP. It is one of the city’s main entertainment centers and home to the famous soccer club of the same name.
“A criminal organization … organized the tender processes by bribing mayors and senior executives of municipalities and ensuring that their own companies were awarded the tenders,” the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel described the arrest as “a new link in the chain of lawlessness in the politicized justice system” and vowed to stand by Akpolat.
The CHP mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, said the dawn raid on Akpolat’s home was part of an attempt to influence public opinion.
“The procedure of those who do not have legal intentions cannot be legal,” he said.
The prosecutor’s office said a three-month investigation led to arrest warrants for 47 people, including Akpolat and Ahmet Ozer, the CHP mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district.
Ozer has been behind bars since October as part of a separate investigation into his alleged connections to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
The tender-rigging scheme was allegedly led by a man named Aziz Ihsan Aktas, prosecutors said. He and 24 other suspects were detained on charges of establishing and running a criminal organization, being members of a criminal organization, bribery, bid-rigging, violating tax laws and asset laundering.
Police set up barriers around Besiktas municipal offices while Akpolat’s office was searched and checked staff IDs before allowing workers to enter.
Akpolat, 42, was elected Besiktas mayor in 2019 with nearly three-quarters of the vote, having previously run unsuccessfully for parliament on the CHP ticket.
Along with other municipal officers, he was detained on charges of membership in a criminal organization, bid-rigging, bribery and unjust acquisition of property.
Since opposition parties successfully won control of major cities across Turkiye in 2019 — and retained them in last year’s local elections — local officials have often been arrested and removed from office. Members of the pro-Kurdish party have been the main targets over alleged ties to the PKK.
Two co-mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, or DEM, were jailed Monday pending trial on terrorism-related charges. A government-appointed trustee was placed to run the Akdeniz municipality in Mersin on Turkiye’s south coast.
Iran, European powers to hold nuclear talks ahead of Trump return
- The talks come as Iran’s nuclear program received renewed focus in light of Trump’s imminent return to the White House on January 20
GENEVA: Iran is set to hold nuclear talks with France, Britain and Germany on Monday, just a week before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
They are the second round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program in less than two months, following a discreet meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, in November between Tehran and the three European powers, known as the E3.
“These are not negotiations,” the German foreign ministry told AFP. Iran has similarly emphasized that the talks are merely “consultations.”
The talks, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, will cover a “wide range of topics,” Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press briefing.
“The primary objective of these talks is to remove the sanctions” on Iran, he noted, adding that Iran was also “listening to the... topics that the opposite parties want to raise.”
On Thursday, France’s foreign ministry said the meeting was a sign that the E3 countries “are continuing to work toward a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program, the progress of which is extremely problematic.”
The talks come as Iran’s nuclear program received renewed focus in light of Trump’s imminent return to the White House on January 20.
During his first term, Trump had pursued a policy of “maximum pressure,” withdrawing the US from a landmark nuclear deal which imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.
Tehran adhered to the deal until Washington’s withdrawal, but then began rolling back its commitments.
Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear pact have since faltered and European officials have repeatedly expressed frustrations over Tehran’s non-compliance.
’Breaking point’
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said the acceleration of Iran’s nuclear program is “bringing us very close to the breaking point.” Iran later blasted the comments as “baseless” and “deceitful.”
In December, Britain, Germany and France accused Tehran of growing its stockpile of high enriched uranium to “unprecedented levels” without “any credible civilian justification.”
“We reiterate our determination to use all diplomatic tools to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, including using snapback if necessary,” they added.
The snapback mechanism — part of the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)-- allows signatories to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran in cases of the “significant non-performance” of commitments.
The option to trigger the mechanism expires in October this year, adding urgency to the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog says Iran has increased its manufacturing of enriched uranium such that it is the only non-nuclear weapons state to possess uranium enriched to 60 percent.
That level is well on the way to the 90 percent required for an atomic bomb.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons.
It has also repeatedly expressed willingness to revive the deal.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July, has favored reviving that agreement and called for ending his country’s isolation.
In a recent interview with China’s CCTV, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi also expressed willingness “to engage in constructive negotiations.”
“The formula that we believe in is the same as the previous JCPOA formula, namely, building trust on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions,” he added.
Brazil startup partners with agro firm to reforest degraded Amazon land
- Deal marks first time re.green restores farmer-owned land
- Reforestation business booming in Brazil ahead of COP30
SAO PAULO: Private equity-backed reforestation startup re.green has signed a partnership with Agro Penido to restore 600 hectares (1,482 acres) of land owned by the Brazilian agribusiness firm with native species from the Amazon rainforest, it said on Monday.
Their partnership is the latest deal for the nascent reforestation business in Brazil, home to most of the world’s largest rainforest and host of the COP30 UN climate summit this year in the Amazonian city of Belem.
Local startups including re.green, AXA-backed Mombak and Biomas — a firm established by Suzano, Santander, Vale, Marfrig, Rabobank and Itau — have been working to buy land or partner with local farmers to restore areas of the Amazon.
Turning degraded land into forests can generate carbon credits, which companies buy to offset their greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily or through regulated markets like the one Brazil has recently written into law.
Firms such as Alphabet’s unit Google, Microsoft , Facebook owner Meta and McLaren Racing have recently purchased carbon credits from Brazilian projects.
The new re.green deal represents the first time it is partnering to restore farmer-owned land, Chief Executive Thiago Picolo told Reuters, noting the firm has already bought 13,000 hectares from ranchers.
“Buying land is an important model, but we always knew that for re.green to reach the size it wants we would have to partner with landowners and involve them in this business,” Picolo said.
Re.green is backed by Brazilian billionaire Joao Moreira Salles and asset managers including Lanx Capital, Principia, Dynamo and Gavea Investimentos, which was founded by former Brazilian central bank governor Arminio Fraga.
Salles and Fraga are both on the board of re.green, whose goal is to restore 1 million hectares of land in Brazil, an area twice the size of Delaware. It announced a deal with Microsoft in May to restore 15,000 hectares in the Amazon.
The deal with Agro Penido covers areas near the Xingu Indigenous Park in Mato Grosso, Brazil’s largest grain-producing state. Picolo said re.green plans to restore forests in less productive parts of Agro Penido’s farms, some of which may yield lumber in addition to carbon credits.
Picolo said the first phase of their partnership has the potential to produce some 300,000 carbon credits over the next few decades, each representing the removal of a metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere.
He said re.green can sell its reforestation-based credits at a premium, fetching some $50 to $100 in private deals.
Scientists consider the Amazon’s protection vital to curbing climate change because of the vast amount of climate-warming carbon dioxide its trees absorb. Some critics complain the offsets allow polluters to avoid reducing their emissions.
Agro Penido, which has a separate joint venture with grains powerhouse SLC Agricola, currently has nearly 40,000 hectares producing soybeans, corn and cotton, which it aims to expand to 65,000 hectares by 2027/28.
“This is a start,” said Caio Penido, one of the owners, about the re.green deal. He added they would now evaluate other areas owned by the firm, noting it was possible for the project to double its scope to 1,200 hectares. (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo Editing by Brad Haynes and Diane Craft)
Tens of thousands take holy dip in India as Maha Kumbh festival begins
- Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela attracts more than 400 million visitors, both Indians and tourists
- The event offers a test in crowd management for authorities in the world’s most populous country
PRAYAGRAJ, India: Tens of thousands of Hindus seeking absolution of their sins immersed themselves on Monday in freezing waters at the confluence of sacred rivers, as India began a six-week festival expected to draw the world’s largest gathering of humanity.
Held every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh Mela or Great Pitcher Festival, as the religious event in the city of Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is called, attracts more than 400 million visitors, both Indians and tourists.
As many as 40,000 police officers are on guard to provide security and help manage the crowds, while surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence AI capabilities will ensure continuous monitoring.
“It is our festival,” said ascetic Hazari Lala Mishra, who immersed himself before sunrise, which is considered an auspicious time. “(It is) the only festival for hermits and monks, and we wait for it desperately.”
Authorities expect Monday’s first ritual dip to draw more than 2.5 million visitors, followed by a “royal bath” on Tuesday reserved for ascetics, in the belief that it absolves them of sin and confers salvation from the cycle of life and death.
Amid public warnings to walk in lines without halting anywhere, droves of marchers headed for bathing positions to await sunrise at the confluence of the three holy rivers, the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical, invisible Saraswati.
Advancing toward the waters’ edge in the winter morning fog, they chanted invocations such as “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Ganga Maiyya” in praise of the Hindu deities Lord Shiva and Mother Ganga, who personifies India’s holiest river.
“I am excited but now scared because I didn’t expect this crowd,” said Priyanka Rajput, a fashion model from Delhi, the capital, who accompanied her mother. “This is my first Kumbh and I came here only because my mother is very spiritual.”
The Kumbh originates in a Hindu tradition that the god Vishnu, known as the Preserver, wrested away from demons a golden pitcher that held the nectar of immortality.
In a 12-day celestial fight for its possession, four drops of the nectar fell to earth, in the cities of Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain and Nashik, where the festival is held every three years in rotation.
The Kumbh held once in 12 years in this cycle has the prefix ‘maha’ (great) as its timing renders it more auspicious and it attracts the largest crowds.
CROWD MANAGEMENT
A showcase mix of religion, spirituality and tourism like no other in India, the event offers a test in crowd management for authorities in the world’s most populous country who must balance arrangements for millions while retaining its sanctity.
A temporary city sprawling over 4,000 hectares (9,990 acres) has sprung up along the river banks with 150,000 tents to house the visitors, and is equipped with 3,000 kitchens, 145,000 restrooms and 99 parking lots.
Authorities are also installing as many as 450,000 new electricity connections, with the Kumbh expected to consume more power than 100,000 urban apartments require in a month.
Indian Railways has added 98 trains to make 3,300 trips carrying festival visitors, in addition to regular services to Prayagraj.
Uttar Pradesh is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which hopes a successful Kumbh Mela will burnish its efforts to reclaim and glorify India’s religious and cultural symbols.
That has been a plank for the party’s Hindu base promised since Modi swept to power nationwide in 2014.
“The Maha Kumbh embodies India’s timeless spiritual heritage and celebrates faith and harmony,” Modi said in a post on X.
