Interpreting the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2593 on Afghanistan: change or status quo?

The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan has inadvertently led to the Taliban taking control of the country. The United Nations Security Council, under the presidency of India has, albeit with the abstention of China and Russia, passed resolution 2593 to condemn the ongoing violence in Afghanistan and to reaffirm the international community's commitment to peace. ATUL ALEXANDER writes about the greater implications of this resolution.

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THE takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban has captured the media spotlight these past few weeks. The visuals of Afghan civilians flocking to the Hamid Karzai International Airport in utter desperation to flee Afghanistan vividly reflects what may follow in the coming days.

Afghanistan has suffered endless war over the past four decades. The cold war prompted the United States (U.S) and Soviet Russia to meddle in the internal affairs of Afghanistan; the U.S backed the Mujahideen to counter the communist party coup after the ouster of the monarchy.

The U.S supported the Mujahideen with weapons and financial assistance. Subsequently, the Soviet troops withdrew in 1989, catapulting the Mujahideen to power in Afghanistan.