The head of the transitional government of Afghanistan states that he believes foreign peacekeepers will be needed in his country for another ten years. Hamid Karzai, in an interview with the German magazine Spiegel, says that building an independent and professional government will likely take another 20 years. The transitional government head expresses the opinion that local warlords, who still control parts of the country, will gradually have to reduce their dominance and hand over control of regions to the newly formed national army. This army, which has ten thousand members, is gradually expanding its control to areas outside of Kabul. Hamid Karzai's interview with Spiegel is published ahead of German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer's visit to Kabul. Donor countries have pledged to provide more than eight billion dollars to Afghanistan in the next three years at a meeting in Berlin.
Foreign Peacekeepers Will Be Needed in Afghanistan for Another Ten Years - 2004-04-17
Hamid Karzai, the head of Afghanistan's transitional government, asserts that foreign peacekeepers will be necessary for another decade as the country builds a stable government. He anticipates that local warlords will eventually cede control to the newly established national army. This situation highlights ongoing international involvement in Afghanistan's recovery and stability.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Hamid Karzai stated that Afghanistan will require foreign peacekeepers for another ten years as the country works towards establishing a stable government. He emphasized the need for local warlords to relinquish control to the national army.
- Karzai believes building a professional government will take 20 years.
- Donor countries have pledged over eight billion dollars to Afghanistan in the next three years.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Afghanistan has been in turmoil for decades, and the fall of the Taliban marked a critical juncture for international intervention aimed at rebuilding the nation.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%