By Leshi Adebayo
Hours after Taliban takes over Kabul, they declare “the war is over” in Afghanistan as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The advancement speed of the Taliban which came as US/NATO troops neared complete withdrawal from the Capital, surprised Western governments; who devised means to evacuate their diplomats, citizens and some local Afghan staff yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Afghans in the city faced an uncertain future as the Taliban troops roames the streets. Currently, the Taliban have promised to maintain stability in the country and avoid further violence, according to their spokesman Mohammad Naeem who spoke with Al Jazeera. He said, the type and form of government will made public soon.
However, on Sunday night, over 60 nations released a joint statement concerning the uproar in the country. A major part of the statement reads, “The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them.”
Here are some of the reactions of other nations of the world:
Iran
The Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has said the US “military failure” in Afghanistan offers an opportunity to establish lasting peace in the country. He said, “America’s military defeat and its withdrawal must become an opportunity to restore life, security and durable peace in Afghanistan,”. He advised all groups involved in the new Afghanistan to reach a national agreement.
China
China said yesterday, Monday, that its embassy will remain open in Kabul and expressed a willingness to support the country’s reconstruction. Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying did say anything about recognizing the new government but said China will respect the choice of the people. She said, “we ensure a smooth transition of the situation in Afghanistan”.
Pakistan
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has assured the visiting delegation led by Former Afghan Parliament Minister, Mr Rahman Rahmani, on Monday that Pakistan will continue to play the role for peace and stability in Afghanistan
Russia
The Kremlin envoy, led by Zamir Kabulov to Afghanistan on Monday said the Taliban government’s conduct will determine Russia’s recognition of the country. Kabulov said, “no one is going to rush” the decision. Recognition or non-recognition will depend on the conduct of the new authorities,”. In 2003, Russia labeled the Taliban a terrorist group.
United States of America
US President Joe Biden has not spoken publicly on the situation in Afghanistan since he defended the decision to withdraw troops on Saturday. The President is expected to speak on the issue in the coming days. As a result, US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan said the failure of the Afghan military is to blame for the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan.
On Sunday night, Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a interview with CNN said the US can only “work with and recognize” a government that “upholds the basic rights of its people and that doesn’t harbour terrorists”.
European Union
EU foreign ministers are set to meet for an emergency videoconference today, Tuesday. This was announced by the bloc’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, announced on yesterday. Borrell said the meeting will be used to assess the whole situation in the Afghanistan. He said, “Afghanistan stands at a crossroad. Security and wellbeing of its citizens, as well as international security, are at play,” he said.
UN aid agencies
The UN humanitarian aid coordination agency says it and partners “are staying and delivering to people in need” despite a complex security situation in Afghanistan following a sweep by Taliban forces across the country.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid, (OCHA) said, thousands of internally displaced people who have been identified in recent weeks have received assistance including food, cash, healthcare, water, and sanitation support while the security environment is highly complex, humanitarian agencies are staying and delivering to people in need.
Germany
The German government has called on the Taliban to show restraint, protect the lives of the Afghan people and make sure needed humanitarian aid can reach them. Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)’s spokesman said yesterday that Germany “is concerned about the fates of individual Afghans as well as the development of the entire country”.
Qatar
The foreign minister of Qatar, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, spoke on the matter yesterday. He called for stability for the Afghan people. He said, “There is an international concern about the escalation of events in Afghanistan and we stress the importance of not compromising the security of the Afghani people, and the importance of establishing stability in Afghanistan as soon as possible,” he said.
United Kingdom
According to UK’s Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, yesterday, Afghanistan is a “failure of the international community”. Based on his assessment of the situation, he said that the West’s intervention was a job only half-done.
Source: Aljazeera.com
Leshi Adebayo
