Bonn conference: Karzai appeals for international support till 2024

President Hamid Karzai appealed to countries gathered at the Bonn Conference today to continue supporting Afghanistan for a decade beyond 2014 or face the return of Taliban rule. The Afghan president made the demand as more than 1,000 delegates from 90 countries gathered in Bonn for a conference on Afghanistan’s future after NATO withdraws its combat troops in three years. “Afghanistan will certainly need help for another 10 years — until around 2024,” Mr Karzai told today. [caption id=“attachment_148450” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Karzai said they will need training for their own troops and equipments for the army and police to help set up state institutions. Reuters”]  [/caption] Karzai is concerned that Afghanistan due to its odd location and insurgence will remain one of the world’s poorest countries, and failing to fund it properly may lead to another civil war. The Telegraph said that a World Bank report has warned of a possible collapse of the Afghan economy, which is currently 90 percent dependent on foreign aid. Karzai said they will need training for their own troops and equipments for the army and police to help set up state institutions. Expressing his gratefulness to all the countries for helping Afghanistan, Karzai also said the Afghan people do not wish to be a burden on the generosity of the international countries, but they will have to remain so for another decade.