David Sproule, Canada’s Special Representative for Afghanistan has announced that the country supports the political stance of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front (NRF).
Sproule clarified, however, that Canada cannot encourage military action against the Taliban and urged for a reduction in the restrictions currently imposed on Afghan citizens.
Sproule, who served as Canada’s Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, noted that every time he believes the situation in Afghanistan has reached a crisis point, new decrees from the Taliban further aggravate conditions.
He also predicted that the Taliban will likely remain in power for the foreseeable future, requiring Afghanistan to contend with continued Taliban rule.
Sproule underscored the need for a stable political framework, facilitated through international agreements. He advocated for a structure that includes power-sharing and reduces the constraints imposed on Afghans, particularly women and girls.
The Canadian Special Representative further remarked that internal and external pressures on the Taliban are mounting.
According to media reports, Sproule condemned the Taliban’s actions against women as “oppressive,” stating that these policies have led to widespread frustration and public discontent.
He criticised the Taliban’s ban on allowing women’s voices to be heard in public and expressed doubt that the Taliban will lose power in the near future.
This statement followed a request by Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, for Canada to support human rights in Afghanistan.
CBC News also interviewed Fariba Rezai, an Afghan activist living in Canada who leads an organisation focused on education and empowerment for Afghan women. Rezai suggested that Canada’s armed forces should consider returning to Afghanistan and that the Canadian government should provide military support to the resistance against the Taliban.
Several countries have previously declared that they do not support violent efforts to change the Taliban regime.
Although the Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed support for the NRF’s struggle against the Taliban, the U.S. Department of State reiterated that it does not endorse armed conflict in Afghanistan.
The United Kingdom similarly stated that pragmatic engagement with the Taliban administration remains the only viable option.
The National Resistance Front, a political and military movement formed following the Taliban’s return to power, has engaged in armed resistance against the group. Over the past three years, the NRF has waged attacks against Taliban forces across various regions of Afghanistan.
