Islamists are preventing Afghans from reaching Kabul airport and leaving the country, Germany said. Merkel is ready for a “controlled” reception of “particularly vulnerable” refugees
At their first press conference since taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban announced they would not shelter foreign fighters, did not want enemies inside and outside the country, would work to form a government and would have women’s rights under Islamic law.
The briefing, given on the second day since the conquest of the country, began with a recitation of the Qur’an. However, the Islamists said they had a new face, wished good relations with all, economic recovery and prosperity for all.
“We do not want any internal or external enemies and we will maintain peaceful relations with other countries,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihula Mujahid.
Until now, he has remained in the shadows, although he has been making statements on behalf of the Taliban for years, the AP notes.
–
–
Asked if al-Qaeda would be sheltered again, he said Afghanistan’s land would not be used against anyone.
“We can assure the international community of this. In terms of maturity and vision, there is a huge difference between us 20 years ago and now. We will not seek revenge, we forgive everyone and we will not persecute people,” Mujahid said, trying to persuade the world that the Taliban have changed since the 1990s, when they imposed a brutal regime on Afghanistan.
Regarding women’s fears that their rights will be restricted because of the Taliban’s principled belief that they should not even receive an education, he also promised:
“Women will have the right to work and study and will be very active in society, but within Islam.”
Taliban prevents Afghans wishing to leave the country from reaching Kabul airport, however, the German government said in the meantime, quoted by AFP and BTA.
“The Taliban have set up checkpoints around Kabul airport to control access. By seceding from the airport, the Taliban are allowing international forces to establish regular air traffic to evacuate their citizens. the German Ministry of Defense in a report accessed by the agency.
“We are working with the United States, as well as with other partner countries, to ensure that local forces can also reach the airport,” said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
“The situation is much more dangerous for them because there is no guarantee that they will be allowed to cross the Taliban checkpoints,” he warned at a news conference, adding:
“Some manage to reach the airport in spite of everything, but we want to make sure that the route of the local forces between the city and the airport is as safe as possible.”
Earlier today Angela Merkel says the question in the coming days will be to find out how many people will reach Kabul airport, recalls AFP. Berlin estimates at about 2,500 local employees, along with their families, who have worked with German troops and have to leave the country. They are joined by about 2,000 human rights activists or NGO workers who also want to leave. Together with their families, their number reaches 10,000 people. But for now, the evacuation operation remains chaotic. A German military plane took off with only 7 Afghans on board. A second German plane took off from Kabul today, this time with 125 people on board, including Afghans, Maas said. With the help of the armed forces, “we are working hard to make sure that as many people as possible in Kabul are taken to a safe place that day,” he said.
Merkel, who is fleeing the Taliban regime but acknowledged the difficulties in reaching an agreement on the issue with European partners. However, she added that regional solutions must first be considered so that these refugees can be accepted in Afghanistan’s neighboring countries. It is then possible to consider whether particularly vulnerable people should come to Europe in a controlled and supportive way, she told a news conference after talks with Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Kallas.
The issue of accepting migrants remains a delicate one in the EU, especially in Germany, where in 2015 the policy of accepting migrants destabilized Merkel and its conservative camp and led to the emergence of a far-right anti-Muslim party, AFP reported. Many in the country have spoken out against a scenario similar to the one in September 2015, when Merkel opened the country’s borders to refugees, mostly from Syria. Europeans have been debating the difficult issue for years without being able to formulate a common asylum policy.
Merkel acknowledged that the lack of a common policy on this issue is a weakness of the EU and stressed that “we must continue to work hard”.
She is the German Chancellor discussed refugee issues with the leaders of France, Italy and Britain and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was quoted as saying by a spokesman today. During the talks, Merkel discussed efforts to evacuate German citizens and local Afghan officials and accepted the need for close co-operation and mutual assistance on the ground, he added.
–
