Connect with us

Latest News

EU Parliament worried about ‘eruption of violence’ in Afghanistan

Published

 on

(Last Updated On: March 6, 2021)

The EU has condemned targeted killings of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society representatives and continuous violence in Afghanistan and called for an immediate ceasefire.

In a statement issued on Friday, the European Parliament called for a ceasefire and for parties to the conflict to continue the peace process in order to preserve the fundamental rights and principles in a future Afghanistan.

The statement comes days after three female media workers were assassinated in eastern Nangarhar province.

Chair of the Delegation for relations with Afghanistan Petras Austrevicius stated: “During the last months, we have seen an eruption of violence. It is very worrisome that this violence targets systematically those who contribute to an open and free society and who ensure the freedom of speech and media. Women are very often victims of these targeted attacks.”

“On behalf of the European Parliament, we condemn in the strongest terms the targeted assassinations of journalists, human rights defenders and civil society representatives,” Austrevicius said.

The European Parliament also called on the Afghan government to conduct thorough and transparent investigations and hold those responsible for the terrorist attacks accountable.

“The European Parliament urges all sides to stop the violence and put in place an immediate and permanent ceasefire. We call all sides to continue the peace negotiations,” he stated.

“The European Parliament insists that whatever the outcome of peace negotiations will be, a future constitution must guarantee the fundamental rights and principles of a free and open society, built upon the political, economic and social achievements of the people of Afghanistan,” the statement read.

Negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have taken place since 12 September 2020 in Doha, the capital of Qatar to try to reach a peace agreement.

The EU stated that since then, the situation for civil society in the country has been rapidly deteriorating with at least fourteen targeted killings of journalists and human rights defenders by unidentified armed individuals or by explosive devices.

Latest News

US House committee chair signs subpoena for State Dept Afghanistan documents

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 28, 2023)

The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee chairman said on Monday he signed a subpoena to be delivered to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for documents related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Michael McCaul has launched an investigation into the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan under Democratic President Joe Biden and events in the country since.

Republicans – and some Democrats – say there has never been a full accounting of the chaotic operation, in which 13 U.S. service members were killed at Kabul’s airport, Reuters reported.

McCaul had given the State Department until Monday to produce the documents.

“Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee,” McCaul said in a statement.

He said the subpoena would be delivered on Tuesday morning.

About two dozen U.S. diplomats in Afghanistan sent a confidential cable through a so-called dissent channel warning Blinken in July 2021 of the potential fall of Kabul to the Taliban as U.S. troops withdrew from the country, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021.

Blinken said during a hearing last week that the department had already shared information and was working to provide more, but that some specific details could only be shared with senior officials, a move intended to protect the identity of those who had expressed dissent.

Asked by Reuters for comment on the subpoena, the State Department referred to remarks by spokesperson Vedant Patel at Monday’s press briefing. Patel said it was “vital to us that we preserve the integrity” of the dissent channel. He said the department was “prepared to make the relevant information in the cable available through briefings or some other mechanisms.”

Continue Reading

Latest News

IEA urges UN to remove sanctions against its members

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 27, 2023)

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials have once again called on the United Nations to remove the names of IEA members who are on the UN blacklist, and said the international community should engage with the group instead of putting pressure on it.

The UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement to extend travel exemptions, allowing 13 Islamic Emirate officials to travel abroad, which expired in August 2021.

“Some 20 to 25 Islamic Emirate officials are on the UN blacklist and have been sanctioned. Some of them have died, and a few are working with the caretaker government,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman.

According to Mujahid, adding pressure and force will not bear results. The war of the past 20 years has proven that the people of Afghanistan will not surrender to pressure. Instead, engagement and negotiations are ideal options to reach a comprehensive conclusion, he added.

In addition, inclusion of the Islamic Emirate officials on the UN blacklist violates the Doha Agreement, Mujahid said.

The Doha Agreement is a peace deal between the US and the IEA aimed at restoring peace in Afghanistan. The agreement was signed in Doha in 2020, finalizing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan contingent on IEA security assurance that Afghan soil will not be used against the US by al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Japan contributes $21 million for life-saving vaccines in Afghanistan

Published

on

(Last Updated On: March 27, 2023)

The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan on Monday announced that Japan has contributed $21 million for life-saving vaccines for mothers and children, and water and sanitation facilities in schools.

With this funding, UNICEF will provide clean water for 30,000 people in four provinces, and vaccines for 18.3 million mothers and children across Afghanistan.

Amid the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the government of Japan has donated to UNICEF $18 million in support of essential vaccines for over 18 million mothers and children, and $3.6 million for water and sanitation facilities in public schools.

The vaccines are for measles, rotavirus, tetanus and diphtheria, polio, hepatitis B and others. These funds will also enable UNICEF to reach around 10 million children with oral polio vaccines during national vaccination campaigns in 2023.

“This support from the Japanese government will not only help to give mothers and children the immunity boost they need to stay healthy, but it will also improve sanitation and hygiene in schools,” said Rushnan Murtaza, UNICEF Afghanistan Deputy Representative.

“Complementing our past support to Afghanistan in health, nutrition and education, we hope these contributions will create cleaner, safer learning environments and communities for children and their families,” says Takashi Okada, Ambassador of Japan to Afghanistan.

Water and sanitation projects will be implemented in Ghor, Uruzgan, Zabul and Pakitika which are among the most deprived provinces in Afghanistan, according to UNICEF officials.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 Ariana News. All rights reserved!