Khaama: Ahmad Massoud warned against engaging with the Taliban in an interview with The National while he was in Vienna for a conference of anti-Taliban figures, human rights activists and academicians. “If you think you can co-opt the Taliban with money and diplomatic ties, then you are gravely mistaken,” he warned. “Afghanistan has become an
Khaama: Rina Amiri, The US special envoy for women, girls and human rights in Afghanistan, said on Tuesday that the US would not have a normal relationship With the Taliban without respect for human rights. Amiri tweeted, “I have received messages expressing concern regarding recognition of the Taliban. We remain clear. There will be no
Ariana: In response to a meeting of a number of Afghans in exile in Vienna on Monday, the Islamic Emirate’s [Taliban] spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday that such meetings are not in the interests of Afghanistan and that people who attend such events abroad have lost their “prestige” inside the country. Mujahid said political figures
Khaama: The second Vienna meeting will be held on Monday, April 24, to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan. According to a statement released by the Resistance Front, there would be 30 participants, including representatives of political movements, civil activists, former government officials, former MPs, religious scholars, diplomats, and journalists. Meanwhile, the leader of the
Akmal Dawi VOA News April 19, 2023 WASHINGTON — After nearly two years of standoff diplomacy with de facto Taliban authorities, Washington is reviewing its Afghan policy in response to what U.S. officials call “draconian” Taliban governance. The review comes as the United Nations is reportedly mulling a suspension of operations inside Afghanistan because the Taliban
By Ikramullah Ikram and Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 18, 2023 Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar is the historical birthplace and the political base of the Taliban. Now, the country’s second-largest city appears to be becoming the de facto capital under the militant group’s rule. Several officials have recently been transferred from the
Ayaz Gul VOA News April 18, 2023 ISLAMABAD — The United Nations deputy secretary-general said Monday that the organization plans to arrange a conference in the coming days to discuss granting recognition to Afghanistan’s Taliban, stressing the need for engagement with the fundamentalist authorities. Amina Mohammed’s remarks come as the reclusive Taliban chief, Hibatullah Akhundzada, renewed
Navbahor Imamova VOA News April 14, 2023 WASHINGTON — A gathering of regional foreign ministers to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan this week brought little in the way of new initiatives but provided a forum for several of Kabul’s neighbors to blame the country’s economic plight on the United States and its Western allies. The United
By Abubakar Siddique Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 7, 2023 More than 18 months after toppling the internationally recognized Afghan government and forcibly seizing power, the Taliban remains unrecognized by any country. The militant group’s human rights abuses and links to extremist groups have once again made it a pariah. The international community has blacklisted Taliban
Ariana: The main spokesman [Zabihullah Mujahid] for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) [Taliban] will move his office from the capital to the southern city of Kandahar, the information ministry said on Wednesday. The move, seen as a sign of the growing importance of Kandahar, is home to the IEA’s supreme leader, and is the