Rising from the ashes

Sorry everyone, I've been really busy lately with exams, so it's a bit of a relief to sit here and do what I enjoy doing most; figure out what the world's up to.

In the post, I'm going to be looking at the recent killing of a senior Afghan peace negotiator in Kabul, and in the next couple of posts, I'll see what the recent elections in Europe signal for the European Union, and what this means for the rest of the world.

Today in Kabul, Arsala Rahmani, a former Taliban minister, was shot dead. The killing appeared to be a professional matter, with the killer using a silenced gun to deliver a single bullet to Mr. Rahmani's heart. His nephew, who was driving his car, did not realise that he was dead for sometime, apparently.

Now this is rather shocking news, particularly since Mr. Rahmani was a key member of Afghanistan's High Peace Council, which leads Afghan efforts to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban. The Council's late Chief was killed in a suicide bombing last September. This is a worrying development, as Afghan officials say that not very many other Taliban commanders have expressed interest in joining, and after the latest attack, officials say numbers will reduce even further. If the capital is not safe, then what is?

"Arsala Rahmani was a unique figure because of his background as a Taliban official who joined peace efforts. He was respected by the Afghan administration as well as by many militant figures", says Bilal Sarwary, BBC News.

The Afghan President, Mr. Hamid Karzai, is reported to have regularly consulted Mr. Rahmani on matters pertaining to the Taliban command structure and peace negotiations.

In the light of this killing, however, one begins to look critically at the Peace Council itself. It must be noted that while it has 'converted' a number of low-level, field commanders, it has not been able to make inroads into the higher echelons of the Taliban command structure.

Regardless, Mr. Rahmani's death is a further blow to the peace negotiations, which were suspended in March by the militants. The Taliban has denied responsibility for the killing, which introduces the possibility of another group interested in further violence, being responsible.

"Observers say he will be extremely difficult to replace as there is nobody of his calibre and experience willing or able to get involved."

-BBC Kabul on the death of Mr. Rahmani