Taliban scrap security cooperation with ICRC

KABUL on Wednesday announced cancelling their security cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for what they said the organization’s noncooperation with Taliban’s inmates.

The Taliban’s move comes amid an ongoing hunger strike by a number of the group’s inmates in Pul-i-Charkhi prison in Kabul.

A statement from the Taliban on Wednesday said the ICRC’s mandate was to assist war-affected people and defend their rights.

“One of the organization’s responsibilities is protection of prisoners’ rights in Afghanistan jails, but unfortunately the ICRC’s aid goes to the sources which do not correspond with its main agenda”, the statement said.

The Taliban claimed hundreds of prisoners slipped into coma after denying food for 10 days and, but the ICRC did nothing to solve inmates’ problems.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan cancels its agreement based on which the ICRC was permitted to function in Afghanistan,” the statement added.

The Taliban said they did not guarantee protection of ICRC workers until the organization reached another agreement for appropriate activities.

The ICRC office in capital Kabul refused to comment about the Taliban’s statement.

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