Political negotiations with Afghanistan’s Taliban has quickly become a central issue in the discourse on the way forward in Afghanistan. Yet, there is little clarity, and considerable disagreements, on what a political process could look like. Chr. Michelsen Institute, United States Institute of Peace and ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ are currently conducting a project on this issue, focusing in on questions such as:
- How can one bring about a shift from a primarily military to a political dynamic?
- What are the key areas of concern for the respective Afghan actors?
- What are the prospects for ongoing initiatives run by the Afghan government (the Peace and Reintegration Program, the High Peace Council), and how can these contribute to a political process?
- Is there a need for a long-term international military presence to secure the space for politics?
- What can we learn from the experience of the past few years?
Hamish Nixon, project coordinator of the project , will give an update on the potential and status of a political process in Afghanistan, the positions of the stakeholders and the possible ways to bring about movement.
Commentators and discussants:
Kai Eide, UNSRSG for Afghanistan 2008-2010, currently principal investigator at ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ, while on leave from the MFA.
Arne Strand, CMI Research Director and Afghanistan researcher.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, ÌÇÐÄÍøÒ³°æ Director and Afghanistan researcher.
