JEDDAH, 30 November — The Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world’s largest Muslim political body which has for decades been involved in peacemaking efforts in Afghanistan, is now finding itself excluded from the crucial peace talks that could shape the future of the country for years to come.
The 57-nation OIC is not attending the Bonn peace talks hosted by the United Nations because it says it was not invited and also because it sees no direct role for it at this stage. But political observers said the organizers of the Bonn meeting did not extend invitation to any non-Afghan parties. The Americans, Russians, Pakistanis and Iranians are all attending the conference as observers and OIC could have done the same.
OIC is yet to react to the convening of talks, which were already welcomed by the US, the country leading the war in Afghanistan.
For years the OIC has been involved in international efforts to resolve the conflict and end the vicious internecine fighting. It sent emissaries to Afghanistan and neighboring countries and hosted talks among the warring Afghan factions at its headquarters in Jeddah and even set up a standing committee on Afghanistan which met regularly.
The latest effort in Jeddah two years ago brought together the Taleban and the Northern Alliance whose side was led by its foreign minister, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. The talks were attended by Francesc Venderel, the UN special envoy to Afghanistan now overseeing the Bonn meetings aimed at arriving at a power-sharing formula for a post-Taleban Afghanistan. This time OIC finds itself staying away from crucial talks that could determine, for a long time to come, the future of one of its founding members.
