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UN Security Council members ‘divided’ over Afghanistan issue
The United Nations Security Council said in a recent report that there is some division among its members over how to deal with the situation in Afghanistan.
The Security Council’s September 2024 Monthly Forecast report stated: “While Council members are generally united in their desire to see a prosperous, peaceful Afghanistan free from terrorism and ruled by an inclusive government, they have been divided over how to achieve this goal.”
The report noted that some members, including France, the UK and the United States among others, “have argued that the Taliban (IEA) must adhere to international norms if they want to obtain international recognition and receive economic and development aid from the international community.
“Several of these members appear to favor maintaining pressure on the Taliban (IEA), particularly regarding their policies and practices that violate the rights of women and girls,” the report read.
However, China and Russia have contended that the international community should provide assistance to Afghanistan without linking it to other issues, such as human rights, and appear to prefer dialogue and engagement with the Islamic Emirate without any increased pressure, the UNSC stated.
China has sent an ambassador to Kabul and, on 30 January, became the first country to accept diplomatic credentials from an Islamic Emirate envoy.
Beijing has emphasized, however, that it has not officially recognised the IEA as Afghanistan’s government but Russia is considering removing the IEA from its list of banned organizations.
The report stated meanwhile that council members considered issuing a press statement critical of the release of “The Law on the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice” on 21 August,” which even restricts women from raising their voices outside their homes.
However, two council members blocked the statement saying “the law was an internal issue, that UNAMA was still studying its implications, and that other council products had already noted the challenge to women’s rights in the country.”
This report comes ahead of a planned Security Council meeting later this month for the quarterly briefing on Afghanistan.
Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous are expected to deliver their reports. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the briefing.
Azerbaijan has released 14 Afghan nationals from its prisons, Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The ministry said in a statement that the release happened following efforts by Afghanistan’s embassy in Baku.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its appreciation to Azerbaijan and relevant authorities for their cooperation and humanitarian action. It also reaffirmed that the IEA will continue to follow up on and resolve the cases of Afghan prisoners.
Former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, says Washington is largely satisfied with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) efforts against terrorism, though progress in broader relations remains hindered by the issue of prisoners.
In an interview with NDTV, Khalilzad said the United States views the detention of at least two American citizens in Afghanistan as the primary obstacle to improving ties.
Khalilzad highlighted what he described as a “significant degree of satisfaction” in the U.S. assessment of the IEA’s counterterrorism commitments under the Doha Agreement. He said the IEA continue to fight Daesh, a group they have long considered an enemy. Many Daesh militants, he added, have been pushed out of Afghanistan and are now in Pakistan.
At the same time, Khalilzad said concerns remain regarding human rights and the political role of non-IEA Afghans.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations made by Pakistani officials following a deadly attack at a mosque in Islamabad, calling them “irresponsible” and “baseless.”
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif wrote on X that preliminary findings suggest the suicide bomber had been on the move to and from Afghanistan.
According to the Afghan Defense Ministry, Pakistan’s defense minister “immediately and irresponsibly” blamed Afghanistan for the attack without conducting proper investigations. Afghan authorities noted that this pattern has been repeated in the past, particularly regarding incidents in Balochistan and other security events inside Pakistan.
The ministry stated that linking such attacks to Afghanistan “has no logic or foundation,” adding that these statements cannot hide Pakistan’s internal security failures or help solve the underlying problems.
“If they were truly able to identify the perpetrators immediately after the incident, then why were they unable to prevent it beforehand?” the statement asked.
The Afghan government emphasized its commitment to Islamic values, stating it does not consider harm against innocent civilians permissible under any circumstances and does not support those involved in illegal acts.
The statement urged Pakistani security officials to take responsibility for their internal security shortcomings, review their policies, and adopt a more constructive and cooperative approach toward both their own citizens and neighboring countries.
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