For many, it is a disaster foretold. As America ends the longest of its “forever wars”, foreign troops leave Afghanistan after twenty troubled years and Taliban militants seize more and more territory amid fears of rising bloodshed and destruction, the emerging international consensus is simple: another state collapse in Afghanistan at the hands of the Taliban would be a danger both to the region and the world.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, has warned that Afghanistan’s challenges are massive. Hard-won gains made in educating and empowering women are under threat. Peace and stability are further complicated by rising geopolitical competition and acrimony among neighbours. As Taliban attacks increase, the arrival in Europe of another wave of Afghan refugees fleeing the country is likely - and feared.
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By Shada Islam, BIC Senior Commentator on Geopolitics
Co-authors:
Fatemeh Jailani - Public Affairs Expert and Founder of Accidental European
Janan Mosazai - Former Afghan Ambassador to China, Vietnam, Mongolia & Pakistan