Talks on Afghanistan's political future have stalled as delegates failed to reach agreement on some key points. Tensions became evident yesterday as one Northern Alliance representative walked out.
It appears that substantial progress on establishing an interim administration has been made, but further talks in Kabul may now be needed to work out the details. The UN had hoped to present a successful outcome today. The talks are being held at the remote Petersberg Castle, high on a hill across the Rhine from Bonn.
The 39 delegates have spent their week in splendid isolation discussing UN proposals for Afghanistan, in particular the nature of an interim administration to rule the country and the need for a security force to maintain law and order. Difficulties in the Northern Alliance agreeing on who it would nominate to councils to be established as part of an interim administration appear to be one of the stumbling blocks at the talks. The delegates in Bonn were awaiting instructions from Kabul, which did not arrive.
"After 22 years of war, it is a miracle that we have even got these people together at one table," said Mr Ahmed Fawzi, UN spokesman at the talks. "If the four groups who arrived here go home as one group our work will be done."
The strongest of the four groups is the Northern Alliance, who now control most of Afghanistan. The second strongest faction is the Rome group, supporters of the former king, Zahir Shah. Two smaller delegations represent the Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, one group with the backing of Pakistan and the other "Cyprus" group with the backing of Iran.
With most of Afghanistan under their control, the Northern Alliance came to these talks in a comfortable position. Still, they made clear at the outset that they recognised the need to hand over power to a broad-based administration.
It came as a surprise when, a day later, they appeared to reject the key UN proposal of an international security force.
"We don't feel the need for outside peacekeeping forces. The security situation is already under control," said Mr Yunus Qanooni, the leader of the Northern Alliance delegation.
When Mr Qanooni was contradicted by his own foreign minister hours later on live television, he had no choice but to back down the next day, blaming misunderstandings and mistranslations.
By Thursday, the delegations had agreed to form a two-tier interim administration before they left Bonn, an interim cabinet and a parliament-style council, most likely headed by the former king. In March, a loya jirga, a traditional ethnic gathering, will pick the next two-tier administration.
"Then Afghans can start on the road to a democracy, draft a constitution and plan free elections," said Mr Fawzi.
Yesterday, the only Pashtun member of the Northern Alliance delegation, Mr Haji Abdul Qadir, left the talks. Highlighting the difficulties that lie ahead in agreeing the ethnic makeup of the government, he said he was "unhappy with the representation of the Pashtuns" in his delegation. The Northern Alliance has very limited support from the Pashtun population, based in the south.
The Northern Alliance demanded a 10-day adjournment of the talks, but the UN and rival groups refused, delegates and diplomats said last night. Two representatives of the former king said Mr Qanooni had asked to return to Kabul for final consultations over who should take part in the interim administration. The talks went on into the night.
