A number of recent events in Afghanistan indicate that the country has reached a dangerous state. Instability remains a characteristic of conditions there and it is a very long road towards nation-building, which has yet to be attained after a devastating decade-long war .
The most recent incident is of a gunman killing a top member of the Afghan peace council. The assassination of Arsala Rahmani, a former Taliban official, is a blow to the efforts to negotiate a political solution to the current stalemate in the country. Rahmani was one of about 70 key and influential former Taliban members who had been appointed by President Hamid Karzai to the peace council.
Besides, there are other areas which are also indicative of the state of affairs in Afghanistan. The United Nations, for example, has warned that the future of women's rights and schooling for girls looks bleak. The UN has criticised the series of attacks against schools that have taken place recently. The level of violence has heightened and has been mainly targeting schools, educational institutions, their staff and in some cases students. "These attacks and acts of intimidation demonstrate a disregard for the protection of civilians, especially children, and of civilian institutions. They are a serious violation of international humanitarian law," said a statement by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
The question today is not just about the future of Afghanistan. More so, it is about the direction the country is being led in. As things stand, the country seems to have lost its way. More importantly, it seems to be at a loss when it comes to finding the best ways to build a nation. And this is, undoubtedly, the most dangerous situation for its people and their future.
