An Algerian diplomat, Mr Lakhdar Brahimi, is the UN secretary general's miracle worker in Afghanistan. Two years ago he stepped down as UN mediator, frustrated over the irreconcilable factionalism of the country's ethnic and tribal groupings opposed to the Taliban.
On October 3rd Mr Brahimi was reappointed UN envoy and assumed the herculean tasks of bringing the tribesmen together in an administration, peacekeeping, supervising humanitarian relief and reconstruction and monitoring human rights observance.
Mr Brahimi, a member of the National Liberation Front (FLN) which won Algeria's freedom from France, served as the FLN's representative to Indonesia during the independence struggle. He was Algeria's first ambassador to Egypt, the Arab country which provided key support for the Algerian struggle. During the mid-sixties Egypt and Algeria had very warm relations and collaborated closely in the Non-Aligned Movement. Mr Brahimi was later appointed ambassador to Britain. In the 1980s he served as assistant secretary general of the Arab League. His ability to bridge differences amongst feuding groups was put to the test during the meeting in 1988 in Algiers of the Palestine National Congress, the Palestinians' parliament-in-exile.
After three days and nights of wranging, the National Congress produced the Palestinian declaration of independence. His diplomatic skill was next tested in 1989 when he helped draft the Taif accord which ended the 15-year Lebanese civil war.
He was appointed foreign minister of Algeria in 1992 just as his own country slid into a civil war between the security forces and Islamist veterans of the US-supported campaign to evict Soviet troops from Afghanistan. He resigned in protest against the policies of the military-backed government. Over the past two years he served as the UN's trouble- shooter for peacekeeping operations.
Yesterday Mr Brahimi met with representatives of six of Afghanistan's neighbours plus the US and Russia with the aim of tackling the rapidly changing situation in the country. Before the Taliban's rout from the northern provinces and the capital, Mr. Brahimi opposed the deployment of UN or foreign peacekeepers.
He may now have to accept a multinational force hurriedly cobbled together from contingents from Muslim countries such as Turkey, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Although the UN and the interested outside powers are reluctant to allow the Northern Alliance to take control, they may now have to deal the fait accompli. The most difficult aspect of Mr Brahimi's work will be to reconcile the poltical demands of the outside powers with the interests of the Afghan people.
