Afghan peace deal heralds return of feared warlord

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan (AA) - The return of one of Afghanistan’s most notorious warlords could happen within days if, as expected, his name is removed from the UN’s list of terrorists.

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar -- often criticised over atrocities committed by his followers in the civil war of the 1990s -- was blacklisted by the UN in 2003 over suspected ties to al-Qaeda and the Taliban and his group, Hezb-i-Islami, listed as a terrorist organization.

Any doubts about his removal from the list seem to have dissipated alongside Russian objections to the plan, which follows the signing of a peace deal between the government and Hezb-i-Islami last September.

“The Russian side expressed its readiness to be flexible to the issues of exclusion of people involved in the terrorist list of the UN Security Council, taking into account the national interests of Afghanistan,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week.

It is understood that Moscow had previously opposed taking Hekmatyar off the list due to his role as a prominent commander during the war against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s.

Zakharova said any delay in reaching a final decision was “technical”. She added: “We hope and believe that before the end of the month, this issue will be solved positively.”

Under the peace deal, Hekmatyar, who has been in hiding since 1997, and his followers are granted immunity for any past crimes and full political rights. This is despite the fact that he was accused by human rights organizations for his "war crimes”.

The abuses he is accused of include the indiscriminate shelling of civilians, the murders of intellectuals and the disappearances of political opponents. However, his group has been largely dormant in recent years.

Most of his supporters, including his son Habiburrahman Hekmatyar have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.

In Washington, a State Department official declined to comment directly on UN consultations but told Anadolu Agency the U.S. supported Kabul’s efforts.

- Taliban blueprint?

“The United States supports President [Ashraf] Ghani’s efforts to the end the Afghan conflict through dialogue and negotiations, including the Afghan government’s request to seek Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s delisting from UN sanctions,” the official said in a statement on condition of anonymity.

Last month, Ghani’s government sent a formal request to the UN Security Council asking for sanctions against the members of Hezb-i-Islami to be lifted.

The High Peace Council (HPC), a government-established body of senior religious and community figures tasked with bridging differences between Kabul and militant groups, is optimistic about the peace deal -- which could provide a blueprint for a future deal with the Taliban.

In a video message released at the time of the peace deal, Hekmatyar urged the Taliban to join the peace process.

Mohammad Akram Khpalwak, a senior political adviser to Ghani, said the removal of Hekmatyar’s name would not be opposed by any Security Council member and said the issue would be resolved within a month.

Meanwhile, Hizb-i-Islami loyalists are sure the sanctions will be removed “within days”. Hekmatyar, 69, has already been offered a residence by the government in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Senior member Mohammad Nadir told Anadolu Agency that Hekmatyar would return to Kabul “very soon”.

He added that Russian diplomats had assured the group that Moscow would support lifting the sanctions. “In a short period the name of Hezb-i-Islami and its top leaders will be removed from the blacklist and the leader of Hezb-i-Islami will make a public appearance and come to Kabul,” Nadir said.

Around 2,500 Hezb-i-Islami prisoners are also due to be released by the government, he added.

* Anadolu Agency correspondents Diyar Guldogan in Ankara and Michael Hernandez in Washington contributed to this report from Ankara and Washington.