Three days after their capture of the capital, Kabul, the Taliban promised to work for reconciliation in Afghanistan, saying they had forgiven their opponents and wanted to protect the rights of women in accordance with Islamic law. In the midst of the evacuation of nationals and local partners from the capital’s airport on Wednesday, several Western countries are waiting to see ” the acts ” the Taliban before taking a position on the new power.
At the same time, Taliban officials met with former Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul, according to footage which shows Mr. Karzai with Anas Haqqani, one of the movement’s negotiators. They also met, according to the monitoring group of Islamist sites, SITE, former vice president Abdullah Abdullah. The Taliban, who seek to form a government, “Said they forgive all the former government officials, so it is not necessary for anyone to leave the country”, also writes SITE.
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Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani refugee in United Arab Emirates
Discussions between Hamid Karzai and the Taliban were supported on Wednesday by former President Ashraf Ghani. “I wish the success of this process”, he explained during his first public speech since his flight from Kabul when the capital fell on Sunday into the hands of the Taliban. In a video posted on Facebook, with the Afghan national flag in the background, Ashraf Ghani explained that he left “So that the blood stops flowing and the chaos stops” before specifying that he had “No intention” to remain in exile. “I am currently in talks to return to Afghanistan”, he said.
A few hours earlier, the United Arab Emirates had announced that the former head of state, who had taken over from Hamid Karzai in 2014, was on his territory with his family. The Emirates “Welcomed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his family for humanitarian reasons”, announced the official WAM news agency, quoting the foreign ministry. No information on Mr. Ghani’s place of residence had been released since Sunday.
The former president had already declared, in a written message posted on Facebook, convinced that “Countless patriots would have been killed and Kabul would have been destroyed” if he had stayed in Afghanistan. “The Taliban have won with the judgment of their swords and guns and are now responsible for the honor, possession and self-preservation of their country.”, he added.
A dead in a demonstration in Jalalabad
Several dozen people gathered on Wednesday during a demonstration to protest the Taliban’s seizure of power in the city of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul. This is one of the first public opposition encountered in the streets by the Taliban since their takeover of central power on Sunday.
Waving in the streets the Afghan national flag, on the eve of Independence Day – which commemorates the 1919 treaty ending the British presence in the country on August 19 – demonstrators at the same time withdrew the Taliban flag (the shahada, Islam’s profession of faith, inscribed in black on a white background) from certain buildings where it was attached when the city was captured by the insurgents on August 14.
A video recording of the protest, viewed by the Associated Press (AP), then shows Taliban members shoot in the air and disperse the crowd with batons. A local health official told AP that one person died and six people were injured in the violence. “This official was not authorized to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity”, AP said.
Arrival in Paris of the first exfiltrated Afghans
The first Afghans brought to safety by France arrived on Wednesday at the Parisian airport of Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle. An Air Force plane carrying more than 200 passengers, including 25 French and a large majority of Afghans, including a large number of women and children, landed shortly before 9 p.m.
This is the second arrival in Paris of an airlift flight set up by France to evacuate its nationals and certain Afghan auxiliaries. The operation could last several more days. On their arrival, the Afghans will be taken care of by the French Office for Immigration and Integration and the France Terre d’Asile association.
The US State Department has also accused the Taliban of not keeping their promise to allow free access to Afghans who wish to go to Kabul airport, which the insurgents allow American citizens.
“We will evacuate all [les aspirants au départ] that we can physically, possibly evacuate and we will conduct these operations as long as possible ”US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday, speaking publicly for the first time since the fall of the Afghan regime.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and United States President Joe Biden also decided by mutual agreement on Wednesday to strengthen their cooperation, in particular between their armed forces present at Kabul airport, to evacuate the as many Afghans as possible “In need of protection”, according to a German government spokesperson.
IMF suspends aid to Afghanistan, NATO meeting on Friday
Foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries will hold a videoconference meeting on Friday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.
This extraordinary meeting will be intended “To maintain close coordination and discuss a common approach on Afghanistan” after the seizure of power by the Taliban, clarified the Norwegian leader on Twitter.
According to a NATO official on Tuesday, a thousand Afghan employees and members of their families were to be evacuated from Kabul. Most must be transported to a third country, where they will receive a visa to join an alliance member state.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also announced Wednesday that it was suspending aid to Afghanistan due to the uncertainty surrounding the status of leaders in Kabul. “There is currently a lack of clarity within the international community regarding the recognition of a government in Afghanistan, as a result of which the country cannot access the [droits de tirage spéciaux] or other IMF resources ”, said a spokesperson.
Joint declaration by the EU and the United States, “deeply concerned” about the situation of women
The European Union and the United States said on Wednesday “Deeply worried” of the situation of women in Afghanistan, calling on the Taliban to avoid “All forms of discrimination and abuse” and to preserve their rights, according to a joint declaration.
“We call on those in power and authorities across Afghanistan to ensure their protection. Afghan women, like all Afghans, deserve a life in safety and dignity. All forms of discrimination and abuse must be avoided ”, says this text, co-signed by 19 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Senegal, Norway, Argentina and New Zealand.
Under the previous Taliban regime (1996-2001), women were banned from going out without a male chaperone and from working, and girls from going to school. Women accused of adultery – a felony – were whipped and stoned to death. Anxious to put on a reassuring face and to convince that they have changed, the Taliban said at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday, “Commit to letting women work in accordance with the principles of Islam”.
