Clean army and popular support: the keys to resistance in the only province of Afghanistan that has not fallen into the hands of the Taliban

Faheem Dashty spoke to TN about the objectives of the resistance. (Photo: Ahmad SAHEL ARMAN / AFP)

In the midst of the terrible crisis of AfghanistanIn a country almost entirely controlled by the Taliban, the province of Panjshir, 120 kilometers from Kabul, is the only one that continues to resist. In dialogue with TN International, Faheem Dashty, spokesman for the Afghan National Resistance Front (FRN) said that the objective of their fight is for the Afghan rights and asserted that for this purpose they are willing to negotiate with the Taliban and any other group.

“Resistance is about the future of our country and our nation, it is about the rights of Afghans, it is about the values ​​for which we have been fighting for the last decades. It is about forming a government that should be representative of all of Afghanistan, where we all see ourselves represented, where we can be assured the rights of afghans, social justice, ”said Dashty, interviewed by Carolina Amoroso.

Regarding the possibility of starting negotiations with the Taliban regime, he said: “For us negotiation is a priority. We believe in negotiation, we believe that through it we can reach consensus with any other group, including the Taliban. For us, this negotiation is important ”.

Dashty said the resistance is fighting for human rights, women’s rights and freedom of expression, as well as for the right to choose their government. “The rights we have fought for over the past 40 years”, a point.

On the costs of leading the resistance and the loss of one of its leaders, Dashty noted: “We lost one of our great leaders just two days before 9/11, but this It’s the cost we’re willing to face, it’s the cost we’re willing to pay now”.

Who makes up the resistance?

The Panjshir Valley activists who today support the Taliban’s advance in Afghanistan are directed by Ahmad Massoud, 32, son of the Lion of Panjshir, national hero of the Afghans, legendary guerrilla commander who led the resistance to the Soviet invasion between 1979 and 1989 and in the 1990s led the military wing of the Afghan government against rival militias .

After the Taliban took control of the country, he became the main commander of the opposition against this regime (in the so-called Northern Alliance) until he was assassinated in 2001. Ahmad Shah Massoud is a revered warlord for many Afghans. . Known as the Lion of Panjshir (Panjshir means “five lions”), his photo can be found in many places in the Afghan capital, such as monuments and buildings, and throughout Panjshir province.

Although they seek negotiation with extremist groups and await international aid, the FNR claims to have thousands of militants ready to fight if they do not come to an agreement and only recently Resistance forces from various parts of the country arrived in Panjshir They joined local fighters who have already trained.