Ariana: Officials say 21 people have died and more than 100 people have been injured due to heavy rains, floods and earthquakes in Afghanistan over the past two weeks. Shafiullah Rahimi, the spokesperson of the State Ministry for Disaster Management, says that the casualties happened in 30 provinces of the country due to earthquakes, heavy rains, floods and hailstorms. Click here to read more (external link).
UN Female Staff Banned From Working in Afghanistan, Guterres Says Aid Delivery at Risk
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Michael Hughes
AOPNEWS
April 4, 2023
The United Nations said the Taliban move to prevent female staff from entering UN mission facilities in Afghanistan is disturbing, unacceptable, and hinders the organization’s work.
“The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) received word of an order by the de facto authorities that bans female national staff members of the United Nations from working,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday. “For the Secretary-General any such ban would be unacceptable and frankly inconceivable.”
The spokesperson also said that the restriction, if confirmed, is part of a disturbing trend that will undermine the ability of aid groups to reach those most in need.
Dujarric said the UN believes the ban is nationwide. The UN, he added, is still looking into how this development would affect its operations in the country and expects to have more meetings with the de facto authorities on Wednesday “to seek some clarity.”
The UN does not have anything in writing yet from the Taliban.
UNAMA in a statement expressed serious concerns that the female national UN staff were prevented from reporting to work in Nangarhar province.
“We remind de facto authorities that United Nations entities cannot operate and deliver life-saving assistance without female staff,” UNAMA said in a tweet.
Reuters reported that all UN personnel in Afghanistan will not report to work for two days for security reasons.
“National UN staff (male and female) will not come to UN offices for 48 hours due to a threat of enforcement of a ban on female national staff in light of enforcement starting today in Jalalabad,” a senior UN official told Reuters, referring to Nangarhar’s capital.
The news agency said Taliban authorities did not respond to a request for comment as of publication.
Later in the day, the UN chief himself took to Twitter to express outrage.
“I strongly condemn the prohibition of our Afghan female colleagues from working in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province,” Guterres said. “If this measure is not reversed, it will inevitably undermine our ability to deliver life-saving aid to the people who need it.”
Taliban authorities in December banned most female NGO employees from work, although the restrictions did not apply to UN employees. The movement has also banned girls from education beyond sixth grade. Females are also prohibited from studying and traveling without a male companion.
The Taliban could partly be reacting to a recent UN Security Council request calling on Guterres to explore ways to counter the Taliban. In March, the UN Security Council unanimously called for an independent assessment and recommendations for dealing with the Taliban in light of several challenges including those related to human rights abuses, especially treatment of women.
The UNSC session featured remarks from mostly Western leaders condemning Taliban policies toward women and calling for the world to hold them accountable for human rights violations. The UN Security Council in the same session adopted a resolution to extend the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan for another year.
The Islamic movement is taking a major risk with such a move in light of the fact the UN is one of the few groups on the ground administering aid. The UN’s massive humanitarian emergency plan for Afghanistan for 2023 has achieved less than 5% of financing needs, which totals roughly $4.6 billion annually.
The UN, meanwhile, has long warned that treatment of women was a “fundamental red line” that should not be crossed.
The Taliban are also seeking international recognition and one of the obstacles has been the movement’s human rights record.
When the Taliban seized Kabul, nearly all external aid that propped up the government was cut off – all except a few agencies like the UN. Guterres and the international body have urged other countries to lift sanctions and start releasing funds to Afghanistan.
Most recently the Taliban have stepped up efforts to enforce draconian restrictions on women including forcing them to wear the Muslim hijab. However, some experts have warned that the Taliban may go too far. Others have observed that the religious movement cares more about imposing religious laws than feeding the people of Afghanistan.
“To date, the Taliban have done nothing but alienate people and make them more distrustful and pessimistic of the ‘Islamic government.’ People can now see for themselves that the Taliban are violating rights, attempting to conceal their true identity behind Islamic rhetoric and using Islam as an impenetrable shield to justify their actions,” Amin Kawa said in a piece published on April 2 in Hasht-E-Subh Daily.
Related
Updates and the Latest
- UN In Talks With Taliban To Clarify Ban On Afghan Women Workers
- Ex-US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad Denounces Taliban Ban on UN’s Female Staff in Afghanistan
US Continues Relocating Afghans Even Under Taliban Rule
Akmal Dawi
VOA News
April 4, 2023
Inside a large building that was once used as a commercial guesthouse for foreign visitors in Kabul are numerous rooms occupied by families and individuals who are not allowed to go outside or disclose their exact location to anyone.
Brought from different parts of Afghanistan, the residents are hosted in the facility before their flights to a third country where they will be processed for final relocation to the United States.
Nearly two years after the Taliban’s return to power, the U.S. has continued evacuating Afghans under special immigration and refugee admission programs despite having no consular or diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.
Aware of the ongoing relocation flights, Taliban authorities have not impeded the program so far despite widespread allegations that the group targets Afghans who worked for the previous U.S.-backed Afghan government.
Through chartered flights, the U.S. government has relocated from Afghanistan thousands of U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, unaccompanied children, refugees and Afghans who qualify under what is known as a Special Immigrant Visa, or SIV, program. Special immigrant visas are reserved for those who worked for U.S. entities and programs in Afghanistan before the Taliban seized power.
More than 90,000 Afghans have been resettled across the United States over the past 20 months, according to the State Department.
More than 11,000 SIVs were issued to Afghans between October 2021 and September 2022, according to official figures.
This year, U.S. President Joe Biden has requested that Congress approve 20,000 additional Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans who helped the U.S. government.
At least 2,980 Afghans came through the refugee admission program from October 2022 to February 2023.
The U.S. government plans to admit 125,000 refugees globally this year, but the State Department said it could not say how many of them would be Afghans.
Three processing locations
Before arriving in the United States, the immigrants and refugees undergo security and immigration screenings at processing facilities in third countries.
“The Department’s principal processing location for relocated Afghans is Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar. It is also currently processing Afghans for resettlement to the United States in Albania and Kosovo,” a State Department spokesperson told VOA via email.
During two weeks of a chaotic evacuation from Kabul in August 2021, U.S. military planes flew about 124,000 individuals out of Afghanistan.
Several thousand Afghans also boarded private flights to the United Arab Emirates, where they have remained at a facility called Emirates Humanitarian City in hopes of resettling in the U.S., Canada or a European country.
“The U.S. government is engaged in case processing for Afghans at the Emirates Humanitarian City,” the spokesperson said, adding that the United States was not involved in the management of the facility where evacuees have protested over resettlement uncertainty.
Waiting for his departure flight from Kabul, one former U.S. contractor who did not want to be named for security reasons said that his family of five would be taken to Albania sometime in the next two weeks.
“I don’t know how long we will remain in Albania, but I hope it will not be too long,” he told VOA.
Parole deadline
In addition to SIVs and refugees, the United States has admitted thousands of Afghans under a temporary humanitarian parole program.
The 18-month program offered in March 2022 is set to expire this September, while a proposed bill called the Afghan Adjustment Act, which was drafted by lawmakers last year to create a legal pathway for the permanent settlement of Afghan parolees, has not yet received bipartisan approval.
“Without the Afghan Adjustment Act, Afghans still either have to apply for permanent residency through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which takes years, or through the complex and overwhelmingly backlogged U.S. asylum system,” Brian Zumhagen, a spokesperson for HIAS, a refugee support organization, told VOA.
The act can provide “contingencies in the event that an evacuee’s parole expires before they receive a permanent status,” Zumhagen added.
On top of legal uncertainty, some Afghans face other social and economic challenges such as finding affordable housing and navigating systems for public benefits such as health insurance and food vouchers.
Answering to lawmakers last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he is “personally committed to keeping our promises to those who stood by us in Afghanistan.”
“The efficient processing and ultimate resettlement of these individuals continues apace and remains among the administration’s highest priorities,” said a State Department spokesperson.
Iran, Taliban Discuss Release Of Iranian Nationals From Afghan Prisons
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
April 4, 2023
The Taliban government is compiling a list of Iranian nationals imprisoned in Afghanistan for possible release following Tehran’s recent handover of hundreds of Afghan prisoners.
Taliban Prosecutor-General Shamsuddin Pahlawan met with Iran’s deputy ambassador to Afghanistan, Hasan Mortazavi, in Kabul on April 3 to discuss the ongoing prisoner-release efforts.
The development comes amid increased diplomatic activity between the Taliban government and Tehran.
Earlier this year, representatives of the Taliban Prosecutor-General’s Office visited Tehran, resulting in the release of 857 Afghan prisoners held in Iran, according to Iran’s semiofficial Mehr news agency.
During the follow-up meeting in Kabul, Pahlawan said that the Taliban government was reviewing the cases of Iranian nationals imprisoned in Afghanistan and will soon complete a list of those suitable for release.
Those prisoners would then be handed over to Iran’s judicial authorities.
It is unclear how many Iranian nationals are currently imprisoned in Afghanistan.
Following the Taliban’s seizure of power in August 2021, some Iranian dissidents opposed to Iran’s Shi’ite clerical establishment expressed fears that they could be targeted by the hard-line Sunni Islamist group.
The previous Afghan government had granted asylum to Iranian nationals, allowing them to live freely without fear of political persecution.
The Taliban government is not officially recognized by any government, but is engaged in efforts to increase cooperation with outside states.
The Iranian government has recently established closer relations with Kabul, including the handover of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran to the Taliban government.
In March, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that it had sent diplomats to 14 countries, including Iran, as it took charge of diplomatic missions abroad.
In January, the Taliban said it was seeking international recognition of Afghanistan’s seat in the United Nations, which is currently held by the former government led by ex-President Ashraf Ghani.
With reporting by Mehr and AP
Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Russia, Tajikistan hold military exercises near Afghanistan
Mehr News Agency (Iran): Russia’s most extensive military base is stationed in the cities of Dushanbe and Bokhtar, and according to the agreement signed in October 2012, the military bases in Tajikistan will remain through 2042. The military maneuver came after the security concerns expressed by the Russian envoy and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Chief on Friday, saying that an increased risk of terrorist groups’ infiltration from Afghanistan threatens the security of the organization’s member countries. “There is an increasing risk that terrorist groups and extremist ideas will infiltrate the territories of our CSTO allies. Complex threats from Afghanistan are of particular concern,” the CSTO chief said. The Russian and Central Asian countries reiterated their concerns over the security threats and risks emanating from Afghanistan and stressed watching the situation in Afghanistan closely. Click here to read more (external link).
The Second Round of the Taliban Regime
8am: After seizing power, it became apparent that neither the world nor the people were willing to accept their terms and conditions and abide by their laws. As a result of their rule, hundreds of thousands of people fled the country, and thousands more continue to migrate to neighboring countries such as Iran and Pakistan. Those who left the country chose to remain in the host countries and never returned. The world is not prepared to officially recognize the Taliban, and even their close allies, Pakistan and Iran, have been hesitant to do so. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – April 4, 2023
Russian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif ‘up and running’: Kabulov
Kabulov
Ariana: Russia’s consulate in northern Mazar-e-Sharif has reopened after almost two years, Russia’s presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said Monday. Speaking to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency, Kabulov said Alexey Pereverzev had been appointed as consulate general to the mission in Mazar. Click here to read more (external link).
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Taliban Kill 6 Key Daesh Fighters in Balkh Province
Khaama: The Taliban Security forces in the Northern Province of Afghanistan, Balkh, killed six Daesh key fighters in a special operation late Monday. Mohammad Asif Waziri, a spokesperson for Balkh provincial police, confirmed that in a special raid by the Taliban security forces, six key fighters of Islamic State Khorasan were killed in Nahr-e-Shahi District of Balkh province on late Monday. Click here to read more (external link).
More Security News
IS-Khorasan Leader in Alleged Audio Message Discusses Afghanistan Losses
Ayaz Gul
VOA News
April 3, 2023
ISLAMABAD — An official pro-Taliban media outlet in Afghanistan has released an alleged audio clip of the leader of the local affiliate of Islamic State in which the man acknowledges his group’s significant recent losses.
“Only a few of our comrades are left, and their number can be counted on the fingers,” Shahab al-Muhajir, the so-called emir of IS-Khorasan, said in Pashto language in a message to his group.
The militant commander also spoke about the killings of key leaders in recent Taliban counterterrorism operations against IS-Khorasan hideouts in the capital of Kabul and elsewhere in Afghanistan.
The al-Mersaad state-affiliated channel, which released the audio, is working to counter IS-Khorasan terrorist propaganda, according to Taliban officials.
There has been no comment from IS-Khorasan on the alleged audio clip attributed to its leader.
VOA has not independently confirmed the speaker’s identity.
Taliban security sources tell VOA the audio clip is that of al-Muhajir, whose real name is Sanaullah Ghafari, and said that he is a resident of Kabul.
Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based independent researcher on jihadists, said that Islamic State official sources had never released any audio message from al-Muhajir until now.
“But his voice resembles the Pashto dialect of his native area in Kabul. However, he uses words from the Pashto dialect of the northeastern Afghan province of Kunar or the adjacent tribal belt of neighboring Pakistan,” Sayed said of the audio clip released by the Taliban.
“Secondly, this audio reflects the ground realities. The Taliban GDI recently killed several senior IS-K commanders, and al-Muhajir expressed concerns over the leadership losses in Afghanistan,” the researcher said in written comments to VOA. By GDI, he was referring to the General Directorate of Intelligence, the Taliban-led Afghan spy agency.
Sayed noted that al-Muhajir had named a slain IS-K commander, Mualawi Muhammad, also known as Mualawi Ziauddin, in the audio and declared his death “a heavy loss” for the group. The Taliban killed Ziauddin in an operation in the northern Afghan province of Balkh on March 26.
Meanwhile, the spy agency late Sunday also reported the arrest of a key IS-Khorasan operative, Ainuddin Muhammad.
The GDI released a purported video confession of the detainee, saying he played a central role in organizing high-profile attacks in northern Afghanistan last month. They included a suicide bombing that killed the Taliban governor of Balkh province. Muhammad reportedly confessed that he was recruited by IS-Khorasan in Iran.
The Taliban are the sworn enemies of IS-Khorasan and have reported significant successes against the militants in recent counterterrorism operations.
Many of those reported gains have not been independently verified.
Late last month, the GDI announced the killing of three central IS-Khorasan commanders, including Ziauddin, the second highest-ranked member of the group.
Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA’s Afghan service in an interview last week that since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, their security forces have arrested and imprisoned up to 1,700 IS-Khorasan militants and killed close to 1,100 others.
It was not possible to verify the Taliban’s claims from independent sources.
In an interview aired Monday by Taliban-controlled state television, Mujahid rejected recent assertions by the United States that IS-Khorasan is gaining strength in Afghanistan and could soon launch attacks beyond its borders.
“Some countries that say Daesh has become more active and a threat to the world after six months, this is nothing but propaganda that we reject,” said Mujahid. He did not name any country. Daesh is a local name for IS-Khorasan.
Last month, a top U.S. military commander told a congressional hearing that IS-Khorasan was eyeing the West and could launch an attack from Afghan bases before the year is out.
“They can do external operations against U.S. or Western interests abroad in under six months with little to no warning,” said Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command overseeing U.S. troops in the region.