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UN Report: Over 500 civilians killed in Afghanistan during first quarter 2020

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(Last Updated On: April 30, 2020)

According to a United Nations report released on 27 April 2020, over 500 civilians, including more than 150 children, were killed due to the fighting in Afghanistan during the first quarter of 2020.

Anti-Government Elements (AGEs) were responsible for 55 percent and Pro-Government Forces (PGFs) were responsible for 32 percent of all civilian casualties in the 3 months of 2020, the report indicates.

It highlights the urgent need for all parties to the conflict to do more to protect civilians from harm, especially in view of the looming threat posed to all Afghans by COVID-19.

As per the report, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a total of 1,293 civilian casualties (533 killed and 760 injured) in Afghanistan during the first three months of the year.

It has noted concerns particularly in March, which was hoped that the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban would commence peace negotiations and prioritize efforts to protect all Afghans from the impact of COVID-19, saw most of the violence, the reported indicates.

The report quotes Deborah Lyons, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, “I call on all parties to seize the opportunity offered by the Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire to focus collective efforts on fighting a common enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“To safeguard the lives of countless civilians in Afghanistan and to give the nation hope of a better future, it is imperative that violence is stopped with the establishment of a ceasefire and for peace negotiations to commence,” he said.

The report said, “Anti-Government Elements (AGEs) continued to be responsible for the majority of civilian casualties – 55 percent – during the first quarter, causing 710 civilian casualties (282 killed and 428 injured). UNAMA attributed 39 percent to the Taliban, 13 percent to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant–Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) and the remainder to undetermined AGEs. The number of civilian deaths attributed to AGEs – particularly the Taliban – increased by 22 percent in the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, mainly due to an increase in targeted killings and summary executions.”

“Pro-Government Forces (PGFs) were responsible for 32 percent of all civilian casualties during the first quarter of 2020, causing 412 civilian casualties (198 killed and 214 injured). Of concern, PGFs were responsible for more child casualties than AGEs during the first three months of the year and over twice as many child deaths, mainly due to airstrikes and indirect fire during ground engagements,” the report explained.

UNAMA attributed 21 percent of overall civilian casualties to Afghan national security forces, eight percent to international military forces, and the remainder to pro-government armed groups and undetermined PGFs.

The UN, through the report, reiterates its support for the Afghan people and calls for urgent action to save civilian lives.

Source: UN Report

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Crime levels down in Kabul city: Police report

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(Last Updated On: March 23, 2023)

The Kabul Police Commander headquarters shared their annual report with the media at a press conference on Wednesday and stated the overall crime rate in the city has come down.

The head of the criminal investigation unit of the Kabul Police, Mufti Abdul Samad, said during the press conference that the crime rate has dropped through the cooperation of residents.

Before the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, each security zone of Kabul city recorded at least 15 vehicle thefts a week. This has been reduced to zero.

In the press conference, the spokesman of the Police Commander of Kabul, Khalid Zadran said that 156 cases of murder have been reported in Kabul city and 14 districts in the past year and that security forces have arrested 36 suspects on charges.

There were 553 cases of robbery from houses, 1,920 cases of fraud and other such incidents, and 2,737 suspects were arrested on charges with these cases, he added.

Kabul police said cooperation of residents was crucial to create a safe environment in the city and prevent crime.

Kabul police also asked all residents to report any suspicious incidents, and inform the detective agencies.

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Blinken promises review of Afghan withdrawal to Congress by mid-April

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(Last Updated On: March 23, 2023)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told lawmakers on Wednesday that the State Department has been putting together a review of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and will share findings with Congress by mid-April.

“We’ve now been spending time putting all of this together to make sure that we look at some of the common lessons learned,” Blinken said in testimony to a Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee hearing.

“I am committed and determined to make that information available to Congress, and we will do that. We will do that by mid-April. So I can tell you today, you’ll have the after-action review. We will share the findings and find the appropriate mechanism to do that within the next three weeks.”

Members of Congress have been demanding information about the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years in what was the U.S.’s longest war. The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee threatened this week to issue a subpoena if the State Department does not produce documents it has requested, Reuters reported.

John Kirby, the top spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters the main takeaways from the review would be released to the public and shared with the House committee.

Republicans, who took control of the House in January, 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.

Hundreds of U.S. citizens and many thousands of Afghans who had worked with American forces were left behind as they were seeking to flee from the Taliban, the Islamist militant group that resumed control of Afghanistan.

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Uzbek delegation discuss need to strengthen ties with Kabul

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(Last Updated On: March 23, 2023)

A top delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund met with the visiting delegation headed by Uzbekistan’s National Security Council Adviser and the special envoy for Afghanistan Abdul Aziz Kamlov in Kabul to discuss numerous issues including the supply of electricity.

Both delegations discussed political, economic, commercial, transit, railway, and electricity projects in Afghanistan, according to a statement received by Bakhtar News Agency.

“We had good political and economic relations with Uzbekistan and this country is making efforts to further develop these relations,” said Deputy PM Baradar, during the meeting.

He termed Afghanistan as a bridge between South and Central Asian countries, and said that “our country could play an important role in trade and transit between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.”

He also said the two countries could become two effective economic partners in the region, by using available opportunities.

For his part, Kamlov said its country has supported Afghanistan in international forums and meetings and has strived to protect Afghanistan’s interests in any condition.

Kamlov said that Uzbekistan is ready to cooperate with the Islamic Emirate to get the maximum advantage from the Qosh Tepa Canal.

For his part, Deputy PM Baradar assured the Uzbek side that Qosh Tepa Canal will strengthen bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and bring these two neighboring countries closer.

The Islamic Emirate is ready to carry out this vital project through mutual understanding, he said.

Meanwhile the delegation met with IEA’s defense minister Mawlawi Mohammad Yaqoub Mujahid and discussed a number of issues. According to the defense ministry, border issues, security and other related matters were discussed and emphasis was placed on strengthening bilateral relations.

Also, Abdulaziz Kamelov, the special representative of Uzbekistan, assured the IEA of their intentions to strengthen relations with Afghanistan in the fields of security, economy, politics and other issues.

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