European Union Gives Conditions To Work With Taliban Regime In Afghanistan

The European Union (EU) has said it will only cooperate with the Taliban if fundamental human rights are being respected, including those of women.

This was made known by the bloc's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell who added that the Taliban must prevent the use of Afghanistan's territory by terrorists, Reuters reports.

Borrell outlined the EU's stance in a statement after an emergency meeting of European Union foreign ministers to discuss the Taliban's quick seizure of the Afghan capital Kabul.

"I haven't said that we are going to recognise the Taliban. I just said that we have to talk with them for everything, even to try to protect women and girls. Even for that, you have to get in touch with them,” Borrell told a news conference.

Recall that the Taliban, in their first official news briefing since the seizure of Kabul, said they wanted peaceful relations with other countries and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law.

Their announcement though short on details suggests a softer line than during their rule 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, the United States and Western allies have evacuated diplomats and civilians the day after as Afghans and other nationals thronged the Kabul airport.

Borrell said the EU's priority was to evacuate EU staff and Afghan helpers from Kabul. He put the number of locals who have been working for the EU at almost 400, their families included.

Spain has offered to act as a hub to receive these people before they are sent on to EU countries that have offered them shelter, he said.

Starting a dialogue soon is needed to avert a potential migratory disaster and a humanitarian crisis, he added.

"We have to get in touch with authorities in Kabul ... the Taliban have won the war, so we will have to talk to them."

Borrell ranked the fall of Kabul to the Taliban as the most important geopolitical event since the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014.

"It will have an impact on the geopolitical balance of the world," he said, meaning the EU would have to work more closely with countries such as Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Russia and China.

Comments

Biden Announces Purchase Of 200M Vaccine Doses

President Joe Biden announced a series of measures on Tuesday aimed at ramping up coronavirus vaccine allocation and distribution, including the purchase of 200 million more vaccine doses and increased distribution to states by millions of doses next week. With those additional doses, Biden said there would be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million Americans -- nearly the entire US population -- by the end of summer or early fall. He described efforts to combat Covid-19 as a "wartime undertaking." We now have a national strategy to beat Covid-19. It's comprehensive. It's based on science, not politics. It's based on truth, not denial, and it is detailed," he said. As part of the new efforts announced Tuesday, the US will buy 100 million more doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and 100 million more from Moderna -- the two-dose vaccines that have been granted emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration. Pfizer and Moderna are working to step up p...

How Soldiers Police Fled Abandoning Delta Community Residents During Bloody Robbery Incident

There was pandemonium in Issele-Uku branch, headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta state on Tuesday as some armed robbers attacked a branch of United Bank for Africa (UBA) in the town. A eyewitness said the robbers gained entrance into the bank after using explosives suspected to be dynamite to blast the bullet-proof door. According to the eyewitness, the robbers spent over one hour on the operation. He disclosed that no fewer than four persons were killed in the robbery attack. The eyewitness said security operatives around the area refused to show up until the robbers had left. “This attack is a reoccurring one in the community. Yesterday, they robbed for an hour and the police didn't show up, neither did the army nor the community vigilantes until they left, that was when they showed up as usual. “I counted about four bodies, the police station is about a minute drive from the scene of the robbery, while the NYSC (National Youth Service Corps) orientation ...

Police Panel Submits ‘Damning Report’ On Disgraced DCP, Abba Kyari

The Special Investigation Panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to probe the former Head, Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari, a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, has submitted its report. The four-man panel headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Joseph Egbunike, submitted its findings to the IG on Monday. Information from a reliable source states that the panel submitted ‘damning findings’ in its report, although the DCP continued to prove innocence in the face of the accusations. The source had yet to reveal further details of the report. The United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, had issued an arrest warrant against Kyari for his alleged links to the suspected fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, who is standing trial for various offences that include internet fraud and money laundering. Hushpuppi has since pleaded guilty to the char...

ExtMedia

Search This Blog