Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani tries to explain why he left Kabul so quickly as the Taliban approached the city.
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I a statement on Wednesday Ghani apologizes for his actions, but says he had no choice. He explains that his security people had said that there would be street fights in the city if he did not travel.
The last time there were fighting inside Kabul itself was during the civil war in the 90s.
Ghani claims that the decision was the most difficult he had made in his life, but that he eventually traveled to avoid bloodshed. He regrets that he, like his predecessors, failed to create peace and prosperity in the war-torn country.
–– I deeply and sincerely regret that my own chapter ended in a similar tragedy as my predecessors, says Ghani.
He has traveled with his family to the United Arab Emirates.
Addresses allegations of corruption
The statement from the former president has been published on his Twitter account. Ghani emphasizes that he owes the Afghan people an explanation for why he left Kabul.
He also takes up the accusations that he has left the country with millions of dollars belonging to the Afghan people.
– These accusations are complete and categorically false. Corruption is a plague that has crippled our country for decades and the fight against corruption has been a central focus of my work as President. I inherited a monster that could not be fought either easily or quickly, he writes.
Shortly after he left, the former president posted a Facebook posts where his own explanation for why he left Afghanistan was that he wanted to “avoid carnage”.
However, the withdrawal angered the population, including his own government members, who saw the act as treason.
Terrorists wanted in new government
Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund has been appointed head of the Taliban’s government, while Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by terrorists, has been appointed interior minister.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, researcher at the Peace Research Institute Prio, stated in a VG interview that he considered the new government a disappointment.
–The peace researcher believes that the election of terrorized government members will make it more difficult for the international community to deal with the Taliban. The group will also have to work even harder to get the people off the sanctions list.
According to Harpviken, the Taliban have not fulfilled what they promised when they took control of the country. He points out to VG that the people who have now been appointed “only contain established Taliban leaders”.
– This is not an inclusive government. This is a strong signal, Harpviken told VG.
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