Afghanistan
Attack on UN compound: Diplomatic missions condemn the incident
Kabul: Several diplomatic missions in Kabul issued on Tuesday a joint statement to condemn the attack on the UN compound in Herat and violent incidents involving it.
The signatories to the joint statement included the diplomatic missions of Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the EU delegation, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, the Office of the NATO Senior Civilian Representative, Sweden, the UK and the US.
The statement said, “Any attack on a civilian humanitarian facility protected by international law should be investigated as a possible war crime. The Taliban must stop denying their involvement in human rights violations and follow the rule of law to investigate and prosecute those responsible in their ranks. The Taliban’s offensive is in direct contradiction to their claim to support a negotiated settlement of the conflict and the Doha peace process.”
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) issued a statement (August 3) on escalating violence in Afghanistan and called for “an immediate reduction of violence”.
The statement said, “The members of the Security Council called on both the Islamic Republic and the Taliban to engage meaningfully in an inclusive, Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in order to make urgent progress towards a political settlement and a ceasefire.”
The statement added, “Security Council members expressed their deep concern about the high levels of violence in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s military offensive and called for an immediate reduction of violence… They also expressed deep concern about the number of reported serious human rights abuses and violations in communities affected by the ongoing armed conflict across the country.”
The NATO mission in Afghanistan issued a statement (August 3) and stated that it has donated over US$70 million in supplies and equipment to the ANDSF so far.
The statement said, “NATO is stepping up deliveries of military equipment to Afghanistan as the alliance withdraws its forces from the country. So far this year, NATO has donated roughly US$72 million worth of supplies and equipment to the ANDSF, ranging from medical supplies to high-tech combat simulators, hospital X-ray machines, and specialist equipment to defuse bombs. The latest delivery arrived on Monday (2 August 2021).” In addition, NATO spokesperson Dylan White said, “As we withdraw our forces from the country, we will continue to support Afghanistan, including with equipment to help the Afghan forces better provide for their own security.”
The US Embassy in Kabul has expressed its concerns over the killing of civilians and using them as human shields by the Taliban. The Embassy tweeted (August 4), “We hear many reports of the Taliban placing landmines in civilian homes and hiding behind families while attacking the ANDSF. If confirmed, this could constitute a war crime. How can the Taliban claim to be fighting for Afghans while using them as human shields?”
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) issued (August 4) its annual anti-corruption report on Afghanistan titled “Afghanistan’s Fight against Corruption” and observed that Afghanistan has taken positive steps towards establishing solid anti-corruption legal and institutional frameworks.
The report added that despite the positive developments, numerous shortcomings remain, including the need to further increase transparency, integrity, and accountability.
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