Taliban’s dream of recognition apparently falling down like house of cards

Mohamed Yousri

Since coming to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has been seeking international recognition.

This recognition has become the movement’s most pressing demand.

The Taliban was close to raising this issue at the beginning of the last week of April. However, this endeavour collapsed during the meeting of the UN Security Council on April 27.

This happened days before a meeting of international envoys to Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Doha on May 1 and 2.

This also coincided with escalation in Vienna by the leaders of the Afghan opposition.

Desperate attempts

Since coming to power, the Taliban has been trying to obtain any form of UN recognition, even partially. Nonetheless, its efforts have always failed.

The Taliban began its efforts to address the United Nations immediately after seizing power, especially in September 2021.

It sent several letters to the international organization, demanding the admission of a representative to it as a representative of the Afghan people.

The movement’s request was rejected due to counter communications by the previous government to retain its representative at the UN.

The Taliban repeated its request, but the response was postponed for almost three months, which prompted the movement’s leaders to put pressure on the international community.

It claimed that it would not be able to confront armed groups in the absence of international recognition.

Doha meeting

The movement had high hopes for the UN meeting to be held in Doha on May 1 and 2 at the level of international envoys in Afghanistan to resolve the problem of UN recognition.

This came after Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Amina J. Mohammed, confirmed at Princeton University on April 25 the possibility of discussing what she called ‘small steps’ towards a possible preliminary recognition of the Taliban.

Nevertheless, she set some conditions for this.

Those attending the Security Council meeting unanimously condemned the actions of the Taliban.

They did this against the background of the movement’s ban on the work of Afghan women in the UN.

The Security Council described this ban as ‘unprecedented’ in the history of the international organization.

Vienna meetings

The meeting of the Security Council coincided with the second round of Afghan opposition talks in Vienna.

Those participating in this round called on the UN to prevent discussions about the continued dominance of the Taliban in Afghanistan during the Doha meeting.

International affairs specialist, Mohamed Abadi, believed the Taliban’s chances of obtaining UN recognition to be very weak.

“These chances are almost non-existent,” he told The Reference.

He added that this is due to the movement’s imprudent handling of the file of women working in international and relief organizations and UN missions and the lack of cooperation with them in the light of the severe restrictions placed by the movement on women’s work and education.