6 people killed in Afghanistan last week

KABUL (Pajhwok): Russia last week recognized the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and China praised the move and Kabul asked Tehran to treat Afghan refugees in an Islamic manner and Norway pledged nearly one million US dollars in aid to support Afghan refugees.

Last week’s major events

• Russia becomes first country to recognize IEA
• IEA welcomes Russia’s move; Mujahid: Afghans have right to interact with world
• China: IEA recognition to speed up bilateral cooperation
• Baradar: ECO member states should recognize IEA like Russia
• Muttaqi: Relations with world expanding
• Kabulov: Kabul to attend next Moscow format as full member
• UNHCR calls on world to provide assistance to Afghan refugees
• Treat Afghan refugees in an Islamic manner, Hanafi tells Iran
• Norway announces nearly one million US dollars in aid.

Casualties

Six people were killed and a seventh was injured in various incidents of violence in Afghanistan last week.

Last week, a man shot and killed his brother over a land dispute in Nuristan, and three people, including a woman, were killed in a dispute between two families in Kapisa.

Similarly, local officials in Ghor say two children lost their lives and another was injured when an old rocket shell exploded in Ferozkoh city.

In the previous week, seven people had been killed and two others injured in various incidents in Afghanistan.

Before the regime change in August 2021, hundreds of civilians, insurgents and security forces would get killed and injured in blasts and gun attacks.

Recognition of the Islamic Emirate

Last week, Russia became the first country recognizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and also accepted the credentials of the Afghan ambassador in Moscow.

The Islamic Emirate welcomed Moscow’s decision and called it a new stage in positive relations, mutual respect and constructive interaction between the two countries.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Russia’s move, saying: “China has always believed that Afghanistan should not be isolated from the international community. We support further interaction and communication between the international community and the caretaker government of Afghanistan.”

Earlier, Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi had told a meeting with the Malaysian Special Representative for Afghanistan, Dato’ Ahmad Azam, that the Islamic Emirate was keen to expand its relations with Southeast Asian countries and that Afghanistan’s relations with the international community were expanding.

Also last week, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar called on the member states of the organization at the 17th ECO Summit to “understand the legitimate political reality of Afghanistan and, like Russia by taking practical and positive steps towards recognizing the Islamic Emirate.”

ECO Summit

Last week, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar asked member states of ECO Summit in Azerbaijan to work closely in the areas of trade, investment, energy, transport, agriculture, environmental protection and climate change, in addition to creating an atmosphere of continuous development and coordination to strengthen economic and regional cooperation with a stable, reliable and cooperative Afghanistan.

Upcoming Moscow Format Meeting

Last week, the Russian Special Representative for Afghanistan said that the next Moscow Format meeting will be held in September or October this year, in which Afghanistan will participate as a full member.

The Moscow Format Summit was established in 2017 to advance the national reconciliation process in Afghanistan. This format includes Afghanistan, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Increase in the return of Afghan refugees from Iran

Earlier, officials at the Islam Qala port in Herat said that more than 10,000 Afghan refugees are returning to the country from Iran every day. According to officials, more than 31,000 Afghan refugees returned from Iran through the Islam Qala port yesterday.

This situation prompted Deputy Prime Minister for Administration, Maulvi Abdul Salam Hanafi to call on Iran to treat Afghan refugees in an Islamic and humane manner.

He said: “Iran, based on Islamic values and neighborliness, is obliged to treat refugees in an Islamic manner. Refugees should not be oppressed and no one’s rights should be violated. This is their Islamic and neighborly responsibility that must be respected.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called on the international community to help reach Afghan refugees.

Arafat Jamal, the head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Afghanistan, said in a meeting with Maulvi Abdul Kabir, the acting minister of the Afghan Ministry of Refugees: “We are engaged in talks with Pakistan and Iran so that the refugees are not forcibly returned.”
He expressed the hope that Pakistan and Iran would show readiness for talks and that the returns would be carried out in a more controlled, voluntary and respectful manner.

“But despite this, we must always be ready. Our teams and resources have been at the borders since 2023 and we are ready to work together with other partners, but the problem is that we lack funding, we have been forced to reduce the level of aid and we are asking the international community to support us; because our aid is still decreasing and the more the number increases, the less our aid will be.”

Norway has announced a contribution of ten million Norwegian kroner (approximately one million US dollars) to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to support Afghan refugees.

ma