Afghanistan: Taliban believe the time has come for international recognition of their regime

After the conversations that the Taliban in Norway with Western diplomats, believe that the time for international recognition of their status is approaching. This assessment was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Moutaki. Of course, he stressed that his government Afghanistan will not act “under pressure of anyone” regarding the Human Rights.

THE Moutaki he also called them USA to release the billions of Afghan resources that remain frozen after their seizure of power Taliban last August.

“As far as the formal recognition process is concerned, we are approaching the goal,” he said. Taliban in an interview with AFP, the first he gives after talks last week at Oslo between Islamists and many Western diplomats.

“It’s our right, the right of Afghans. “We will continue our political battle and our efforts until we achieve what we want,” he stressed.

The Taliban consider the conversations in Oslo as a first sign of international recognition. However, the Norway considers that these discussions offered the Islamists “neither legitimacy nor recognition”.

“The international community wants to do business with us,” he said Moutaki, considering that his government is actively working with it on many issues. An indication, according to him, that the legitimacy of the Taliban is being strengthened.

It provides for the opening of embassies

Many countries maintain their embassies in Kabul and Moutaki predicts that others will reopen. “We expect that the embassies of some European and Arab countries will also open,” he commented.

However the new regime of Taliban refuses to act under international pressure, he said, explaining that the government is following its own roadmap on human rights.

“Our actions in the country are not made to meet demands and we do not make decisions under the pressure of anyone,” he stressed. Moutaki.

The Taliban claim that they have become more moderate than in the previous time they were in power (1996-2001), when they banned all protests and violated human rights.

Nevertheless, they did not delay in excluding girls from secondary schools, forcing women to be accompanied by a male relative when traveling extensively, and excluding them from most public sector jobs.

THE Moutaki denied that women had been expelled from the public sector, but many women civil servants, either from the Kabul or from other cities Afghanistancomplain that they have lost their job or have been paid for months.

“None of the 500,000 civil servants of the previous regime, male or female, have been fired. “Everyone is paid,” said the politician.

Humanitarian crisis

After the cessation of international aid, which almost covered the 75% of the Afghan budget, and the freezing of USA of $ 9.5 billion Central Bank of Afghanistanthe country is sinking into a serious humanitarian crisis.

In fact, a recent report by the Sky News television network showed that it is difficult for hospitals to keep children alive.

In a country already hit hard by drought, famine is now threatening 23 million people, 55% of its inhabitants Afghanistanaccording to UN.

Respect for human rights, and especially of women, by them Taliban is one of the key conditions set by foreign diplomats in order for aid to be released.

Ever since they took power Taliban have dispersed most of the protests against their regime, arrested many of their critics and beaten or arrested journalists. A reality that is rejected by Moutaki.

“To date we have not arrested anyone who is against the ideology of this government and we have not harmed anyone,” he said.

This week the international Amnesty and UN reported the arrest of two journalists of the television network Ariane TVwho were finally released on Wednesday (2/2) after two days of detention.

Two feminists known for their participation in anti-regime demonstrations have also been missing for two weeks. The Taliban deny any involvement in the case and claim that an investigation has been launched.