A group of Afghan women’s rights activists and protest movements have issued an open letter to Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, calling for the immediate cancellation of the Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban.
Published on Saturday, November 23, the letter highlights the damaging consequences of the agreement for Afghanistan. According to the authors, the agreement has led to “widespread suppression of women and girls, religious minorities, and civil activists.” Other domestic outcomes cited include “increased targeted assassinations, worsening refugee crises and forced displacements, weakening of the media and journalists, and the expansion of drug production and trafficking.”
The letter also underscores the transnational impacts of the agreement. Activists warn that it has “strengthened global terrorism, destabilized the region, threatened widespread migration, and increased organized crime.” They stress that continued implementation of the agreement will result in “further empowerment of the Taliban and weakened international security.”
In the letter addressed to Trump, the activists write: “Your decision to support the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls suffering under Taliban oppression, can change the destiny of this country. We urge you to use your power and influence to revoke this agreement and advocate for justice, freedom, and peace in Afghanistan.”
The activists have also called for measures such as prosecuting Taliban leaders in international courts, forming an elected government in Afghanistan, strengthening civil institutions and media, and applying broad diplomatic pressure on the Taliban.
The letter argues that the Doha Agreement has not brought peace or stability but has instead exacerbated the crisis in Afghanistan and the region. According to the letter, continued implementation of the agreement will only bolster a dangerous regime that threatens not only the rights of the Afghan people but also international security.
This appeal follows repeated demands by Afghan women and human rights activists to revoke the Doha Agreement, emphasizing its disastrous consequences.
