Afghan resistance leader warns of uprising if no peace deal with Taliban is reached

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The brother of slain Afghan warlord Ahmed Shah Massoud has called on the Taliban to form an inclusive government after regaining control of the country, and warned of resistance if they refused.

Ahmed Wali Massoud, one of the leaders of a group of anti-Taliban leaders from their base in the Panjshir Valley, raised the possibility of a massive civil uprising if the militants did not agree to a deal.

If there is an agreement, a peaceful settlement, everyone will join. But if there is no agreement. . . “It’s not just Panjshir, it’s the women of Afghanistan, the civil society, the younger generation – they are all children of the resistance,” Massoud said in a video interview with the Financial Times. “If you conquer [presidential] Palace by force .. This does not mean that you have conquered the hearts and minds of people.”

Massoud’s credibility stems from his late brother Ahmad Shah Massoud, a well-known resistance leader who was one of the generation of Mujahideen who took up arms when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

Ahmed Wali Massoud raised the possibility of a massive civil uprising if the militants did not agree to an inclusive government. © Amir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

As the leader of the Northern Alliance, Ahmed Shah Massoud fought the Taliban after he first took power in 1996 until his assassination by al-Qaeda days before the September 11, 2001 attacks.

However, analysts question whether the anti-Taliban forces will be able to confront the victorious armed group, which has added military equipment provided by the United States to its arsenal.

Panjshir Province, a mountainous district north of Kabul, is surrounded by the Taliban who have shut down vital supply lines. It’s not easy to get in [to Panjshir]”It’s high peaks and passes, but the Taliban army is much stronger,” said a person familiar with the security situation in the province. “The forces of resistance are absolutely unparalleled.”

The Taliban faced the first signs of popular unrest this week, as Afghans marched to celebrate Independence Day, hoisting the national flag in defiance of the Islamists. But analysts say the war-weary population will be hesitant about further conflict.

The Taliban faced the first signs of popular unrest this week as Afghans marched to celebrate Independence Day, hoisting the national flag in defiance of the Islamists.

Another family member, Ahmed Masoud, son of Ahmed Shah Massoud, demanded international support to confront the Taliban in the wake of the US military withdrawal.

The commander of anti-Taliban forces in Panjshir wrote in the Washington Post this week that his soldiers are ready to fight but need “more weapons, more ammunition, more supplies.”

Romain Malejk, author of Warlord Survival, a book on Afghan militia leaders, said young Massoud had “charisma and ability” as well as “the legitimacy of his name,” but that he was “too young and inexperienced in combat.”

Amrullah Saleh, the vice president in the Afghan government ousted by the Taliban, has also vowed to fight, but analysts are unsure of his ability to garner popular support.

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Afghanistan’s wars have always been fought not on the open battlefield, but by guerrilla forces who use the country’s terrain to regroup between attacks.

However, observers were shocked by the ease with which the Taliban defeated not only government forces, but also warlords and militias who were expected to put up the fiercest resistance.

Massoud wondered how the Taliban had managed to achieve such an easy victory over the Afghan forces trained and funded by the United States, and called on ousted President Ashraf Ghani and the US envoy in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad to explain what happened.

“I think there was a huge conspiracy to bring down the entire regime… It was like a coup being carried out from within the government, adding that it was not ‘logical’ for the army to collapse so quickly,” he said. “I have no doubts about anything that was planned,” he said.

Many of Afghanistan’s traditional leaders are now scattered. Ismail Khan, a veteran fighter in the western city of Herat, surrendered to the Taliban. Others such as Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Muhammad Nur are said to be in exile.

Any Afghan resistance will also struggle to attract international support. Countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia immediately funded warlords when they were fighting the communists, and countries like India were eager to support anti-Taliban militias.

Afghan militants supporting Afghan security forces against the Taliban stand with their weapons and Humvees in Bazark, Panjshir province on August 19. © Ahmad Sahel / AFP / Getty

But many now seem willing to deal with the Taliban government – if not formally recognizing it – especially if it includes other personalities. Hamid Karzai, former Afghan president, and former peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah held talks with senior Taliban leaders about taking up positions in the new regime, and securing protection from retaliation.

Masoud was part of a delegation that recently traveled to Pakistan to put pressure on Prime Minister Imran Khan. They want Islamabad to persuade the Taliban not to attack Panjshir and to agree to a government that includes all ethnic groups. He said he hoped a deal could be struck to avoid bloodshed before Afghanistan descends into more chaos.

“There are no offices [open]No salaries, no salaries, no workers, no employees, no officials, nothing in Kabul.

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