KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) last week decided to participate in the UN-led Doha meeting, which the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) termed vital and the UN released two reports about Afghanistan, but the IEA rejected them.
Last week’s major events:
- IEA decides to participate in Doha meeting, but stresses changes
- Doha meeting vital mechanism for discussion: Roza Otunbayeva
- Change in Doha talks format, agenda to impress IEA: Bakhi
- Security incidents in Afghanistan 50pc up ,Qani says untrue
- Taliban’s anti-women system wide, systematic: Richard Bennett; Mujahid says such statements damaging ahead of Doha meeting.
- IEA participation in Doha meeting did not qualify recognition: Roza Casualties:
Last week, 10 people were killed and three others were injured in different violent incidents.
Four people were killed and three others injured in western Farah and central Uruzgan provinces as a result of clashes between families.
According to reports, four children were killed and three others injured when a rocket shell exploded in western Faryab province, a man was stabbed to death in Baghlan province while a body was found in Bamyan province.
Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources could have provided incorrect figures.
According to sources, seven people were killed and eight others injured in Afghanistan in the previous week.
Since the regime change in Afghanistan, 5,019 people have been killed
Before the regime change in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, hundreds of civilians and members of warring parties would get killed and injured every week.
Doha meeting on Afghanistan
The third Doha meeting on Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on June 30.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), on his Twitter handle wrote: “The agenda and participation list of the upcoming Doha meeting was shared with the Islamic Emirate after two months of discussions with the UN, it was decided in principle to participate in the said meeting.”
He added: “If there are any changes to the agenda and participation, it would naturally affect our decision which we will share with all sides at that time.”
Another foreign ministry official said the IEA had decided to take part in the upcoming Doha meeting, but on what level is yet to be ascertained
Zakir Jalali, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), said that the agenda of the gathering showed this UN-led meeting would focus on financial and banking sector, counter-narcotics and alternative financial ways for poppy cultivation.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General and UNAMA head Roza Otunbayeva has underlined the participation of the interim government in the third Doha meeting but said it did not mean the new rulers’ legitimization.
She said: “We hope that in Doha, key stakeholders will convene around the table, speak to each other face to face, reinforce the principles underlining the consensus to engage, and agree on next steps to alleviate the uncertainties that face the Afghan people”.
Last week, Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Xing and the UNAMA deputy chief Markus Potzel discussed the upcoming Doha meeting on Afghanistan.
In a post on X, Zhao Xing wrote: “Great pleasure to meet with DSRSG for Afghanistan Markus Potzel and exchange views on strengthening China and United Nations’ cooperation in Afghanistan.”
UNSC Meeting
The UNSC has noted a 55 percent spike in security-related incidents in Afghanistan, with over 2,500 incidents occurring in the past three months.
In his latest report released on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutterres highlighted that drug-related incidents increased by 97 percent.
Land disputes rose from 20 to 51 and armed clashes increased from 75 to 106 from March to June, compared to the same period last year. “The Afghanistan Freedom Front carried out 14 attacks, all of which took place in capital Kabul, compared with the 24 confirmed attacks recorded in the previous reporting period,” the UN chief said.
But Abdul Matin Qane, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior (MoI), rejected the report as far from true. He told Pajhwok Afghan News: “Security has been ensured across the country”.
“Recently, we recorded no major security incident. The UN has included operations against kidnappers and drugs in its report.”
He accused the UN and its partners of continuously trying to misrepresent the situation in Afghanistan.
The UN report said 23.7 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance and the UN chief called on the international community to help Afghanistan.
In addition, at the UNSC meeting, Russia stressed the need for talks with the IEA for sustainable peace and Iran emphsised on unfreezing Afghanistan’s assets, while the US called the role of the international community crucial for stability in Afghanistan.
Robert Wood, Deputy Permanent Representative of the US to the UN, said the international community must continue to stand with the Afghan people – especially its women and girls.
Richard Bennett report, IEA reaction
Last week, UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett addressed the Human Rights Council on human rights situation in Afghanistan.
The report underlined restrictions against women and claimed that Afghan women did not have access to health, justice and judicial sectors.
He said, as a result of extensive research, consultation and analysis, it was found that, in his words, “the Taliban’s anti-women system is extensive and systematic.”
But Zabihullah Mujahid, chief spokesman of the IEA, said that the report by some members of the UN, especially Richard Bennet, was an attempt to confuse public minds ahead of Doha meeting.
He wrote: “Unfortunately, some people in the United Nations always try to portray a wrong picture of Afghanistan and bring great developments under the light of a few limited issues.”
Continuation of aid
The Russian Emergencies Ministry sent another 21 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
Earlier, OCHA said it has provided assistance to 10.9 million Afghans in the first three months of this year.
nh/sa/ma
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