dpa, 18 September 2023
AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted in this news item published by Germany’s leading news agency dpa about the changed situation in Afghanistan under the Taleban and the perspectives for the country and its people:
Despite the disastrous situation, Afghanistan specialist Thomas Ruttig is not expecting a change of power any time soon.
“The Taliban are firmly in the saddle,” says Ruttig.
Opposition groups that still enjoyed broad popular support during the Taliban’s first period in power lost support by collaborating with the corrupt, Western-backed government, he says.
The current opposition is unable to overcome ethnic divisions and is unlikely to receive backing from abroad, according to the expert.
Plus, many Afghans have no interest in further fighting after more than 40 years of war.
But people cannot afford to give up, in Afghanistan or beyond, says Ruttig.
The population cannot be blamed for the mistakes of the previous government, but the pressure on the Taliban must be kept up, especially regarding to girls’ education, he says. At some point in the future, he believes, the Taliban will feel the impact of excluding women from public life.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/before-the-taliban-afghans-lacked-security-now-they-are-losing-hope/ar-AA1gSai9
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 25 Sep 2023
