Conventional Approaches to Conflict Settlement and the Quest for Sustainable Peace in Afghanistan

Abstract

In the contemporary global arena, the conflict spectrum has transformed substantially,
with the phenomenon of inter-state wars being replaced by the intra-state violence as
the predominant form of combat. Since the conflict paradigm is constantly evolving,
especially with the increasing participation of diverse actors besides the nation states,
so has been the corresponding evolution of the settlement mechanisms. However,
Afghan conflict seems to have defied the widely accepted norms of conflict resolution
diplomacy thus far, and the peace negotiations among the belligerents have mostly
been taking place informally without any conventionally structured methodology. The
departure of American-led-coalition forces resulted in the military takeover of Kabul by
the Taliban, without any power sharing agreement through a formal conflict resolution
mechanism. Thus, in the face of persistent internal fissures, discord as well as external
intrigues, the peace and stability of Afghanistan would continue to be fragile without a
consensual settlement process.