Name? Abdullah Abdullah
Westphalian identity? Afghan
Age? 59
Why is he in the news? Abdullah was appointed chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) on Sunday, ending his political feud with President Ghani and ensuring his pivotal role in upcoming peace talks with the Taliban.
Why do we care? Because the Afghan’s reached this agreement without any international mediation (specifically, without any American mediation) and with both sides surprisingly content with the outcome. Abdullah’s team even went so far as to say the deal was an “opportunity for peace.”
Why should you care? Because we may finally witness peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government; potentially ending the 19 year war. Much of this will depend on Abdullah in his new position over the HCNR and how well he can portray a broad political consensus when facing the Taliban. Nevertheless, this action of bringing together political rivals in Kabul; choosing to put aside political divides for the good of the Afghan people, already strengthens the government’s position and weakens that of the Taliban.
Who else cares? Ghani, the Taliban, the Afghan people, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (aka the U.S. government), as well as neighbouring nations who all stand to gain from a more stable and secure Afghanistan.
Any further comments? The power-sharing deal reached between Abdullah and Ghani (each choosing 50 ministers (wow, choosing infinite amounts of ministers is becoming fashionable lately…)) should theoretically provide more stability and certainty than previous power-sharing deals as they are the sole authors. With this increase in ownership over the agreement, both leaders stand to benefit from its success (or failure) as they no longer have a scapegoat mediator to blame should the deal fall through. Abdullah has already stated that the deal commits to forming a “more inclusive, accountable and competent administration.” However, with no international mediator involved, it will be interesting to see how (if) both sides are truly kept accountable.
