Delegation Taliban go to Norway to hold talks with a number of representatives of Western countries to organizations related to humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and disbursement of state assets.
“We ask them to cash out the assets of Afghans and not punish ordinary citizens for political discourse,” one of the Taliban delegates, Shafiullah Azam, told reporters. Associated Press, on Sunday (23/1).
“Because of the famine, because of the deadly winter, I think this is a time for the international community to support Afghans, not punish them for political strife,” he added.
Since the Taliban came to power again in August 2021, all countries cooperating with Afghanistan have suspended ties until aid.
Various countries including the United States even froze Afghan assets abroad worth more than US $ 10 billion (Rp 143 trillion).
The freezing of these assets is also a problem considering that Afghans are now falling into poverty. Many people are starving and even have to sell their children for money.
Meanwhile, about 80 percent of Afghanistan’s budget depended on international aid before the Taliban took power.
At least 23 million people in Afghanistan are experiencing extreme hunger, according to the United Nations. As many as one million children under 5 years are also at risk of dying from starvation.
The conditions were so severe that several hospitals, which did not have the funds to buy fuel, were forced to cut down trees to warm patients’ rooms. Aid groups have also warned that the situation will only get worse if the international community does not act.
The unemployment rate in Afghanistan has skyrocketed. As a result of being threatened with bankruptcy because the state treasury is running low, the Taliban regime is reportedly unable to pay the salaries of Afghan civil servants for months.
In addition to aid, the Taliban’s visit to Norway was also one of the group’s efforts to seek recognition and legitimacy to the world as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
Azam said the meeting with Western representatives in Norway was a “step to legitimize the Afghan government.”
“Invitations to meetings and other forms of communication like this will help the European community, the US or many other countries to erase the misrepresentation of the Afghan government,” he said.
Even so, the Norwegian government ensured that the invitation to this meeting was not an acknowledgment of the Taliban. Oslo stressed that the meeting with the Taliban was taking place in order to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan which was getting worse.
This trip to Norway is indeed the first visit of a Taliban delegation to a Western country after taking over the Afghan government since August 2021.
The spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Taliban regime, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, uploaded a number of photos of the Taliban delegation as they boarded a luxury private jet bound for the capital city of Oslo.
“The delegation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) led by Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi flew to Norway on a special flight where there will be talks with representatives from various other countries regarding humanitarian assistance, politics, education, and other economic issues,” Balkhi tweeted. Saturday (22/1).
The Taliban delegation will be in Norway for three days. In addition to meeting state representatives, the Taliban will also meet with several Afghan civil society organizations, opening up opportunities for negotiations since taking power.
(pwn / rds)
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