We Have not Yet Heard Any Promising News
Although more than a month has passed since the start of the peace talks, the issues at stake have not yet shifted. This issue has not only raised the concerns of ordinary citizens, but also some governmental and non-governmental officials have expressed disappointment with the peace progress.In an interview with the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (hereafter referred to as “Network”) Oranos Atefi said that it has been a long time since the talks beginning, but there is no hope for it, and many people increasingly become distrustful of the peace process.Network: Are you optimistic about the peace process?Atefi: We have not heard any promising news of the peace progress and the Taliban’s resistance to change makes it worse.Network: Given the history of the Taliban, especially with regards to women, can we expect positive outcome from peace process?Atefi: This dialogue will be fruitful if the United Nations and other countries involved in the Afghan peace process exert the necessary pressure. Otherwise, there is no hope for the outcome of this process. Since the beginning of the negotiations, the security situation has deteriorated and we are witnessing the killing of military and civilians every day; and almost all provinces are insecure. There is no hope for peace unless the international community, the US government and pro-Taliban countries intervene.Network: Do you think the presence of women in peace talks will affect the Taliban's view of them?Atefi: The presence of three women representing half of the country's population in these negotiations is not enough. They may not be able to recount all the problems of women. Another important point is that the representatives of the victims of the war should also have been present at the negotiations, and the female members of the negotiating team may not be able to…