JAKARTA – Indonesia is set to host talks among Indonesian and AfghanIslamic clerics in Bogor, south of Jakarta, at the end of the month in abid to mediate the peace process in the long-standing Afghan conflict.
The summit will involve the Indonesian Ulema Council and Afghanistan’sclerics.
The Interpreter, published by the Lowy Institute, an independent,nonpartisan think tank based in Australia, reports that the talks followIndonesian President Joko Widodo’s visit to Kabul earlier this year, andare not the first time Indonesia has attempted to mediate a peace process.In 2016 Jakarta hosted the 5th Extraordinary OIC Summit on Palestine andAl-Quds Al-Sharif, which served as a bid to mediate the Israel–Palestinepeace process.
Similarly, the Indonesian government collaborated with civil societyorganizations in mediating the Mindanao peace process in the Philippines,providing humanitarian aid and engaging in negotiations to free twoIndonesian fisherman held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants since November2016.
Historically, Indonesia has been well-regarded for its quiet but decisivemediation role in conflict resolution processes in Cambodia the 1980s, aswell as for its actions in achieving peaceful resolutions to internalreligious conflicts in Ambon and Aceh.
The Interpreter however questions whether this experience is sufficient tojustify a greater role for Indonesia as an effective and impartial peacebroker in Afghanistan?
According to the institute, there are two good opportunities and threelimitations to this prospect, all of which need to be taken into account byJakarta before it seriously engages with the Afghan peace process.
“While Indonesia might be able to step forward with its proposal for apeace roadmap in Afghanistan, some structural problems might constrain itsattempts to get involved,” the Interpreter reports.
According to them, one gain from the talks might be greater recognition ofIndonesia’s humanitarian diplomacy.
During Widodo’s presidency, Indonesia took the lead both in sendinghumanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees, and responding to the 2015earthquake in Nepal.
This leadership has not only involved the government (particularly theForeign Ministry) but also a network of religious-based civil societyorganizations.