25 kiled, 16 wounded in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Last week, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) called the ban on women working for the world body illegal and unacceptable, with the Samarkand foreign ministerial meeting underlining the need for an inclusive government in the country.

Key events:

• The Samarkand meeting demanded an inclusive governmet in Afghanistan
• Tom West: Participants of a meeting in Qatar opposed “conflict” in Afghanistan.
• Turkey, Japan stressed the need for interaction with Afghanistan.
• EU, Germany criticized ban on UN’s female Afghan staff.
• UNAMA called the ban as illegal, but Mujahid: called it an internal issues.
• $40m unannounced aid package reaches Kabul
• Kazakhstan donated 81 wagons of food and India to supply 20,000 tones of wheat.

Casualtieis

Last week, 25 people were killed and 16 more wounded in various incidents of violence across the country.

Mujahid said two Daesh militants were killed during an operation conducted by security forces in Kabul. Two other Daesh rebels were killed in the Nimroz province.

The Ministry of Defence said eight militants, including their commander, were killed during an operation by security personnel in the Salang district of central Parwan province.

According to reports, unidentified gunmen shot dead the son of ex-governor of Maidan Wardak Muzafaruddin Yameen in Kabul. The head of a health center was gunned down in Badakhshan.

Unknonw people shot dead a moneychanger in Khost, a young man in Kandahar and a lady doctor in Takhar. The body of 65-year-old man was found in Kapisa.

Reports shows two children were killed as a result of an unexploded ordnance blast in Ghazni, while two people lost their lives in Kandahar and Nangarhar. Two more were wounded.

Local officials say a clash erupted between robbers and security personnel in Kandahar. As a result, one robber was killed. In Kapisa, one person was killed and four others were wounded in a clash between two families.

About nine peope were injured due to a tribal clash in Ghor. In Faryab, one individual was gunned down and another wounded.

Note: These figures are based on reports reaching Pajhwok Afghan News. Some incidents may have gone unreported or sources may have provided incorrect figures.

In the previous week, 21 people had been killed in various incidents across the country.

Before the regime change in August 2021, hundreds of civilians, security forces and insurgents were killed and wounded every week.

Samarkand meeting on Afghanistan

On Thursday and Friday, a two-day meeting was held under the leadership of Russia in Samarkand. Foreing ministers of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, China, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan participated.

The gathering urged the Afghan caretaker administration to create an inclusive government, fighti terrorism and reopen secondary schools and uinversitites for girls.

Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, during a meeting with Afghan counterpart Ami Khan Muttaqi, said talks on Afghanistan in its absence were futile.

In addition to thanking Uzbekistan for hosting the meeting, Muttaqi said the two countries had a shared religion and language and they were good economic partners.

He voiced Afghanistan’s readiness to initiate work on trans-Afghan railroad, which could play a positive role in the region’s economic integration.

The foreign ministers of Iran, China, Russia, and Pakistan held an informal quadrilateral quadrilateral to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

In a joint statement, they called on IEA to form an inclusive government with the participation of all ethnic groups and political institutions.

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Afghanistan remained firmly committed not to allow any group or individual to use its territory against any regional state or beyond.

Addressing a the meeting in Samarkand, he said: “This commitment is not only in words, rather we are practically engaged in serious security and stabilisation efforts inside Afghanistan, and have made discernible achievements.”

Muttaqi claimed nearly since the establishment of the current government, no significant security incident had transpired with roots in Afghanistan.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting of foreign ministers of regional countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang asked the United States to learn from its failures in Afghanistan.

He said the US was politically and militarily defeated in Afghanistan. He alleged America’s so-called war on terrorism had further fuelled the menace.

West’s trip to region & Qatar meeting

The US special representative embarked on a trip to Qatar, the UAE and Turkey for consultations with allies on issues including the situation in Afghanistan.

Thomas West tweeted on Friday: “Appreciated meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister HE @MBA_AlThani_& Special Envoy for Conflict Resolution HE Dr Mutlaq Al-Qahtani regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan.”

Calling Qatar a crucial partner, the diplomat wrote the US sought to protect its interests, support the Afghan people and defend their rights.

But every Afghan participant, West claimed, voiced support for dialogue and opposition to armed conflict as a solution to the country’s challenges.

Hikmat Khalil Karzai, former deputy foreign minister, tweeted that he met the US diplomat and both called for the resumption of girls’ education in Afghanistan and providing women their rights.

Interaction with Islamic Emirate

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Friday that he would continue to interact with Kabul without recognising the current Afghan government.

Last week, Japanese Ambassador Takashi Okada, during a meeting with Foreing Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, said his country was in favor of interaction with the Afghan authorities.

Last week, Muttaqi hosted a recepetion for the ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kygyzstan, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia. Diplomats from other countries and UN special representative of Afghanistan Roza Otabayava and the Agha Khan Foundation head were also in attendance.

Muttaqi noted IEA’s relations and interationc with the world had been good over the last 20 months. He hoped the current problems woud be resolved.

Ban on UN’s women workers

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) asked its staff across the country not to come to work until further notice after the Islamic Emirate issued an order banning Afghan female employees of the world body.

The UN condemned the decision as illegal and unacceptable under international laws. UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva has been talking to senior officials of the caretaker government in this regard.

UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierres denounced the ban as a violation of the inalienable fundamental human rights of women and called for immediately revoking the decision.

“It also violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law and infringes on the principle of non-discrimination, which is a core tenet underpinning the United Nations Charter,” he commented.

The EU also wanred of reviewing the continuation of aid to Afghanistan if the ban on female workers of UN agencies was not lifted.

The German embassy also slammed the ban on women workers as a violation of human rights and said the full empowerment of women in Afghanistan was important for a sustainbale future.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the caretaker government’s spokesman, said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) does not want to create any obstacles for the United Nations …”

Instead, he added, the interim government wanted to explain the decision on banning women workers was Afghanistan’s internal issue, causing no problems for anyone else. The decision should be respected by all sides, he insisted.

“We remain committed to the rights of all compatriots, considering our religious and cultural interests,” the spokesman commented.

Continuaty of aid

Since last month, the arrival of humanitarian cash aid in Kabul has not been reported, but a source in central bank confirmed the receipt of a package of $40 million assistance on Wednesday.

After the regime change 9n 2921, the United States imposed sanctions on the interim government and froze Afghanistan’s over $9 billion reserves.

The Biden administration’s move triggered a grave economic crisis in the country but later the international community started lending humanitarian support to Afghanistan.

On December 1, 2021, DAB announced the arrival of $16 million in humanitarian cash aid in Kabul, saying the money had been handed over to a private bank. It was called the start of periodical arrivals of humanitarian cash aid in the country.

Kazakhstan donated 81 wagons of food items to Afghanistan, including oil, rice and baby food.

India will provide Afghanistan humanitarian assistance of 10,000 tonnes of wheat via the Chabahar port in Iran.

Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with World Food Program (WFP), India will supply Afghanistan the fifth shipment of humanitarian aid involving 10,000 tonnes of wheat.

This United Nations Organisation for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has sought $4.6 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan for the current year. The World Food Organisation (WFP) says it needs 800 million dollars for emergency aid to the needy Afghans in the next six months.

sa/mud

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