ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – The head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, has once again opposed the selection of a special envoy of the United Nations for Afghanistan as unacceptable.
In an interview with Japan’s NHK news agency, Shaheen said that the UN envoy may try to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and impose some decisions on Afghanistan, which, according to him, is unacceptable for the Taliban.
“The question is why there is a need for a special envoy. There is suspicion that the new special envoy may impose some decisions on Afghanistan,” he said.
The appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan was a key topic of discussion at the Doha meeting on special envoys on Afghanistan held on the 18th and 19th of February, hosted and chaired by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
It was also among the key recommendations of the UN independent assessment of Afghanistan, led by Turkish diplomat Feridun Sinirlioğlu, which concluded in November of last year and was approved by the UN Security Council in late December 2023.
The Taliban has also previously criticized the UN’s decision to appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan. The group’s main spokesperson, Zahibullah Muhahid, claimed that Afghanistan under the regime’s rule has a strong central government capable of independently managing its internal affairs and conducting its own diplomacy. Therefore, the establishment of parallel mechanisms by the United Nations, such as a Special Envoy are unacceptable, he said.
While the Taliban opposes the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan, the United States and Pakistan have supported the idea, with the US urging the UN Secretary-General to appoint one as soon as possible for better coordination of international engagement on Afghanistan.
Pakistan, according to Pakistani media outlet The Express Tribune, initially voiced reservations over the appointment of the UN special envoy. However, it is now backing the proposal, emphasizing that the UN special envoy must be “Muslim, an experienced diplomat, and from the region.”
After two days of deliberations of special envoys on Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Monday, February 19, that he will initiate consultations for the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan. ,
“We discussed the Security Council resolution that asks me to appoint an envoy, a UN envoy but with a deep consultation with all the interested parties: member states and the de facto Afghan authorities but also other sectors of the Afghan society,” the UN chief said.
Mr. Guterres reported a consensus among more than 25 countries who had participated in the conference, including China and Russia who had previously shown reservations.
Recent remarks by the Taliban officials as well as feedback from several participants we spoke to show that the disagreements over the mandate of an envoy and his profile remain unchanged as Western powers prefer a diplomat of their own, perhaps from Norway, to take the post.
