In recent days, the world has watched in disbelief as the United States and its western allies withdrew their forces from Afghanistan in a chaotic manner that left behind a vacuum and the Taliban have wasted no time exploiting it. After capturing several regional cities at lightning speed in a matter of days, the Taliban on Sunday marched on the capital Kabul and took it without much resistance only hours after the president fled to exile. Some of the footage coming from the desperate scenes, including of people falling off a flying plane as Afghans jostled to leave the country in the aftermath of the capture of Kabul, have been shocking to say the least. It goes to show the chaotic ending to 20 years of the controversial western campaign in Afghanistan and the extreme uncertainty that the abrupt withdrawal of the US and its NATO allies have plunged the country into. For nearly two decades, the west has sought to impose its own version of democracy and values on Afghanistan, having initially invaded the country as part of the US-led war on terror following the September 11 attacks. They drove out the Taliban regime and ushered in a period that brought western allies to power, during which women’s rights were promoted and a series of liberal reforms rolled out. However, despite the passage of time, Kabul was always wobbly and it and its western backers failed to completely defeat the Taliban with the latter instead increasingly regaining control of large parts of the country in recent years. Now the Taliban are back. They have promised some good things but it remains to be seen whether or not they will honour their pledge. Meanwhile, as cameras remained focused on Kabul, thousands of kilometres away, in southern Africa, inspiring and heart-warming stories were unfolding. An incumbent in Zambia was graciously conceding defeat to his long-time political rival in a national vote, while a pan-African joint force was continuing to make impressive gains in its fight against terrorists in Mozambique. In both cases, it’s Africans at the centre of events. It’s Africans trying to do what is best for our continent – not some foreign messiahs saving Africa from Africans. The international media may ignore these positive developments, only lying in wait to pounce on a negative narrative in Africa, but Africa is on the move nonetheless. From Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya, there are more than enough examples to show that the west is not only unable to impose its ideals and will on other countries but they are also not in position to impose lasting solutions on other peoples. We hope the people of Afghanistan will now come together to prevent their country from descending into the abyss. The different players in Afghan politics need to work out a political formula that serves and protects all. They should seize the opportunity to build an inclusive, prosperous country, and it’s possible as long as all Afghan hands are on the deck.
