Masouda Jalal, Afghanistan’s former minister of women’s affairs, has called for a U.N.-backed international conference similar to the 2001 Bonn Agreement as a pathway to resolving Afghanistan’s crisis.
In an interview with AFP, Jalal said the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 led to the loss of everything gained in the past two decades, but she insisted that the country’s challenges remain solvable.
“They [the Taliban] have brought back the darkness we fought so hard to escape,” she said.
Jalal criticized the Taliban’s leadership, noting that despite their initial assurances of moderation, they have imposed harsh interpretations of Islamic law, including public floggings and executions.
“The political regime in Kabul does not have public support, and the world refuses to recognize it, yet still engages with it,” she said. “That makes no sense. Why continue this? Millions of people are suffering.”
Jalal, who served as minister of women’s affairs from 2004 to 2006, argued that with sufficient international will, the Taliban and their backers could be pressured into meaningful engagement to ensure inclusive governance.
Emphasizing the global community’s responsibility to end Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, she urged world leaders to take decisive action.
“The world cannot stand by and watch this suffering continue,” she said.
