In a meeting with the Taliban representatives in Qatar, the United Nations Special Envoy for Afghanistan Tadamichi Yamamoto has called on the Taliban insurgent group to “desist from any activity that would interfere with the elections”.

According to a statement released by the UN Mission in Afghanistan, Mr. Yamamoto met with the Taliban representatives in Doha on Tuesday.

The UN official has cautioned Taliban about the safety of voters and all other civilians engaged in the election.

“Yamamoto, who is also the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stressed that the election is a civilian undertaking. He highlighted that attacks directed against polling centers and civilians participating in the electoral process are clear violations of international law and may amount to war crimes,” the statement added.

In addition, he has urged the Taliban to retract any instructions which could disrupt elections.

The United Nations further urges all stakeholders to play their part in creating conditions for citizens to vote in safety and for the credibility of the electoral process to be safeguarded.

“Free from fear, intimidation and threats of violence, voters must be given every opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to cast a ballot and elect political representatives in a peaceful manner,” the statement quoted Mr. Yamamoto as saying.

UNAMA has commended the work performed by the Afghan security forces in supporting the upcoming elections on September 28.

However, the Taliban insurgent group in a statement called on Afghans to refrain from taking part in the elections on Saturday.

The group vows to disrupt the election by attacking Afghan security forces guarding the process and polling centers.