All eyes on N. Alliance

By Vaiju Naravane

KOENIGSWINTER (Germany), NOV. 27. The United Nations-sponsored conference on Afghanistan began at the hilltop castle of Petersberg here today under tight security and pouring rain with a gaggle of demonstrators from the Afghan diaspora calling for durable peace and respect of human rights.

Thirty Afghan delegates and observers from 17 nations attended the inaugural session, presided over by the U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan and former Algerian Minister, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. The conference aims to reach an agreement on a future broad-based government in Afghanistan that would ensure durable peace and stability. Delegates agreed that the first step would be to work for the formation of an interim council.

Inaugurating the conference, the German Foreign Minister, Mr. Joschka Fischer, said Afghanistan had a ``great opportunity to win peace and reconstruction''. He said, ``The responsibility is yours. No one can relieve you of it and no one wants to. I urge you all to forge a truly historic compromise that holds out a better future''.

Three Afghan exile groups and the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance, that now controls much of the country, face huge international pres sure to make the talks a success. Mr. Fischer said the world had ``clear expectations.''. Germany had put aside 80 million euros ($70.48 million) to help fund post-war reconstruction in Afghanistan.

The Northern Alliance Interior Minister, Mr. Yunus Qanooni, who leads the united front delegation, said he wanted Afghanistan to take its place in the international community. ``We want Afghanistan out of the middle ages,'' he said adding that he condemned extremism and terrorism and expressed the hope that the delegates would agree on a framework for a broad-based interim government.

Mr. Brahimi read out a message from the U.N. Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, describing the meeting as the beginning of a ``new age'' for the Afghan people and urging delegates not to repeat past mistakes. ``You must not allow the mistakes of the past to be repeated, particularly those of 1992,'' Mr. Annan said in the statement.

Sayed Hamed Gailani, son of Hamid Gailani, leader of the Pakistan-backed Peshawar Group, blamed foreign intervention for past failures to achieve peace. Ms. Fathima Gailani, the daughter said that the other delegates had insisted upon security issues. This would include a proposal for U.N. troops in Afghanistan.

At the press briefing today, Mr. Ahmad Fawzi, U.N. spokesman at the conference, said the delegates had agreed that talks would not go beyond one week. Earlier the U.N. official had indicated that he expected the discussions to last for as long as two weeks.

Mr. Qanooni's statement was the most keenly awaited of all four delegations. It appeared that the Northern Alliance was keen to share power with the other partners. However, informed sources here say the new masters of Kabul will hold out for at least 50 per cent of the posts as well as the leadership role.

The Northern Alliance holds many of the strongest cards in the talks as they now have military control over much of Afghanistan. Some experts fear a refusal by them to share political power could mean more civil war. The role of the former king of Afghanistan will also be crucial.

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