Afghanistan: ex-president Ashraf Ghani and his family welcomed in the United Arab Emirates – archyde

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 full evacuation of nationals and local partners from the airport of the capital, Wednesday, several western countries are waiting to see ” the acts ” the Taliban before taking a position on the new power.

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• Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his family in the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates announced on Wednesday that it had welcomed former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani and his family after his flight from the country which fell to the Taliban. 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.

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Mr. Ghani then said he fled his country to avoid a ” bloodbath “, recognizing that “The Taliban have won”. The ex-president, who did not specify where he had gone, said he was 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 in a post on Facebook.

• 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.

Waving in the streets the Afghan national flag, on the eve of Independence Day (August 19), demonstrators at the same time removed the flag of the Taliban (the shahada, the profession of faith of Islam, inscribed in black on a white background) of some buildings where he was tied up when the town was captured by the insurgents on August 14.

A video recording of the protest, viewed by the Associated Press (AP), then shows members of the Taliban shooting in the air and dispersing 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.

• NATO meeting on Afghanistan 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.

It comes after a first meeting Tuesday of ambassadors of NATO member states, and as Westerners accelerate their evacuation operations at Kabul airport in difficult conditions.

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The forces of the Atlantic Alliance were surprised by “The political and military collapse of recent weeks, with a speed that had not been anticipated”, Mr. Stoltenberg commented to the press on Tuesday, calling for “Learn from it”. Armin Laschet, leader of the CDU (German conservative party) of Angela Merkel and candidate for her succession to the chancellery, lambasted “The biggest debacle (…) of NATO since its creation ”, in 1949.

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. Around 800 civilians working for NATO also remained behind to provide “Crucial functions”, in air traffic, fuel management and communications.

• 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 are deeply concerned for the women and girls in Afghanistan, for their rights to education, to work and to freedom of movement”, indicates this text, co-signed by 19 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Senegal, Norway, Argentina and New Zealand.

“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 ”, insists the statement.

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The international community “Is ready to attend [les femmes du pays] with humanitarian aid and support, to ensure that their voices are heard ”, write the signatory countries.

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”.

The World with AFP