On Sunday, 15 August 2021, Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani left the country, leaving the country in a deep crisis. Taliban took over Kabul after it captured 26 of the 34 provincial capitals. With the entire country now under Taliban control, the talk of negotiations is nothing but meaningless.
Videos that are being shared through various channels on social media showed people running alongside the military jets as panic and fear spread across people. In another video showed two people falling from the sky after the plane had taken off. US officials are committed to evacuating Afghans including the people who aided the country’s military during the year’s long mission and have been approved for a special immigration visa. The refugees have urged the Biden administration to quicken the process as they could be targeted for violence under a Taliban- led government.
According to the statements issued by the Taliban, they declared that the war in Afghanistan is over as President Ghani has fled the country leaving the people behind for them to govern. Further in the statement, they stated that they will soon put their government at the centre, imposing and working according to the Sharia Law. They have reassured that women will be allowed to have access to education as well as jobs. In the latest statement, they have even welcomed women to form or be a part of the new government.
More than 60 nations released a joint statement for the protection of human life and property as well as the restoration of security and civil order. The joint statement concluded with the statement “The Afghan people deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. We in the international community stand ready to assist them.”
Iran:
In the last few years, the US has accused Iran of helping and providing aid to Taliban fighters but Iran has always denied these claims. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi saw the outgoing incident in Afghanistan as the military failure of the US. The country has offered an opportunity to establish peace and stability.
US:
Joe Biden given the seriousness of the situation has been criticised for his decision to withdrawal of US troops from the country. The Afghan Americans have been angry over the Taliban takeover and protested in Washington on Monday. Despite all the criticism, he has stood with his decisions and is regarded to be the right one. He spoke to the American people from the East Room after returning to the White House from Camp David and said that he has no regrets about his decision to end the longest war in United States history. He has criticised the Afghan military for their unsuccessful attempt to put a stop to the Taliban and protect and secure their own country against them.
Russia:
Russia regarded the Taliban as a terrorist group in 2003 but since then they have hosted several talks in Afghanistan that involved the group as well. Russia always had a great interest in the region. After the Taliban’s takeover, Moscow has declared that recognition of this new government will depend on the nature of their conduct.
United Kingdom:
UK’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace regarded the takeover of the Taliban as the failure of the international community. He regarded this as an unfinished problem for the world which requires help.
Qatar:
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, called for stability in Afghanistan. He said that it is an international concern that how quickly the events escalated in the country and how important is to protect the Afghani people.
China:
China has not directly favoured supporting the Taliban’s new role as the government yet they made statements about respecting the choice and decision of the Afghan people. Per the reports, China will keep their embassy open in Kabul and expressed its willingness to be part of the country’s reconstruction.
China also has economic interests in Afghanistan, which can help fulfil its ever-growing need for minerals, but more importantly, it can pressure the Taliban to ban the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which it blames for unrest in its Muslim-dominated Xinjian province, to operate on Afghan soil.
