WASHINGTON: The US chargé d’affaires said the people of Afghanistan must clarify whether they want Taliban’s system in the country or not.
Karen Decker said that during a meeting in Doha, Taliban told international representatives that the current situation in Afghanistan demonstrates what the people want.
However, the people of Afghanistan have demanded respect for women’s rights, including work, education, and freedom of movement, as well as an inclusive government.
Decker talking to reporters stressed that the major concern for representatives from 25 countries and three regional organizations at the Doha meeting was the rights of girls and women in Afghanistan.
She noted that throughout the Doha talks, women’s issues were central, and all representatives warned that Afghanistan could not succeed by excluding half of the Afghan population.
According to the U.S. diplomat, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson of the Taliban leader was told that Afghanistan cannot succeed by sidelining half its population. At the meeting, the Taliban stressed the removal of sanctions and the provision of development aid.
Decker said that the lifting of sanctions and the release of Afghanistan’s foreign reserves are among the top demands of the Taliban but the global community has not responded positively to these requests.
Meanwhile, Decker affirmed, “We have not yielded to the Taliban’s demands. They want foreign reserves released, sanctions lifted, and Afghanistan’s UN seat granted to them, but none of these things have happened.”
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She went on to say that the U.S. consistently highlights the Taliban’s human rights record in different meetings, saying that Afghanistan cannot join the international community unless the Taliban fulfill their obligations.
Among these obligations, are allowing girls and women access to education and the right to work.
The US diplomat while responding to criticisms regarding humanitarian aid being sent to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, said that the U.S. does not want to use food as a weapon.
