There were reports on Friday that targeted killings had taken place in areas occupied by the Taliban, which intensified fears that they would restore Afghanistan to the repressive rule imposed during the last time in power, although they urged Imams on Friday. To convey the message of unity in his prayers.
Fearing that the new de facto ruler would commit such abuse and despair on the future of their country, thousands of people ran to Kabul’s airports and border crossings after the Taliban’s astonishing blitzkrieg crossed Afghanistan. Others took to the streets to protest the takeover-the resistance of the Taliban fighters violently suppressed.
The Taliban stated that they have become more moderate since they last ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s and promised to restore security and forgive those who have fought with them in the 20 years since the US-led invasion. Before Friday prayers, leaders urged the imam to use sermons to call for unity and urge people not to flee the country.
But many Afghans are skeptical, worrying that the Taliban will erase the achievements of the past two decades, especially for women. An Amnesty International report on Friday provided more evidence, weakening the Taliban’s claims that they have changed.
The rights group stated that its researchers talked with witnesses in Ghazni Province, who described how the Taliban killed nine Hazara men in Mundarakht village from July 4 to 6. It said six of them were shot and three were tortured to death. Hazaras are Shiite Muslims. They have been persecuted by the Taliban in the past and have made significant progress in education and social status in recent years.
The head of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard, said that the brutality of the killings “reminded the Taliban’s past record and is also a terrible sign that Taliban rule may bring.”
Human rights groups warned that because the Taliban cut off mobile phone services in many areas they photographed to prevent the images from being published, there may be more killings that go unreported.
In addition, Reporters Without Borders expressed shock at the news that Taliban militants killed the family of an Afghan journalist working for Deutsche Welle on Wednesday.
The broadcaster said the fighters conducted door-to-door searches of reporters who had moved to Germany. It said the Taliban also attacked the homes of at least three journalists.
“Sadly, this confirms what we worry about the most,” said Katja Gloger of Reporters Without Borders in Germany. “The brutal actions of the Taliban show that the lives of independent Afghan media workers are in extreme danger.”
At the same time, a Norwegian private intelligence organization that provides information to the United Nations stated that it has obtained evidence that the Taliban have blacklisted Afghans who they believe have played key roles in the former Afghan government or US-led forces. .
In an email, the executive director of the RHIPTO Norwegian Global Analysis Center stated that the organization was aware of sending several threatening letters to Afghans, including a man who was taken from an apartment in Kabul by the Taliban this week.
“We obtained a hard copy of the specific letter issued and stamped by the Taliban Military Commission for this purpose,” Christian Nellerman said. A report from the organization obtained by the Associated Press includes a copy of one of the letters.
The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the organization’s claims.
Under the Taliban’s previous rule, women were basically restricted to their homes, television and music were banned, and a public office was held on a scheduled date. But the leaders of this movement promised to be more moderate.
It is not clear whether reports of abuse of power indicate that the Taliban leaders said one thing and did another, or whether they simply cannot control their own forces at all.
The scale and speed of their takeover seemed to challenge the leadership’s ability to control their fighters. For example, in Kabul, there are reports that combatants have promised security to major news media, but there are also examples of them intimidating business owners.
In uncertain circumstances, thousands of people tried to flee the country, braving the checkpoint stationed by Taliban fighters and rushing to the Kabul airport, where a chaotic evacuation was taking place.
Mohammad Naim has been in the crowd at the airport for four days trying to escape. He said he had to put his children on the roof of the car on the first day so that they would not be crushed to death by the crowd. He saw other children who couldn’t get away were killed.
Naim said he had worked as an interpreter for the US military and he urged others not to come to the airport.
“Now this is a very, very crazy situation,” he said.
The United States is working hard to accelerate the pace of its withdrawal from Afghanistan, and thousands of Americans and their Afghan allies may need to flee Afghanistan. European countries are also trying to get their citizens and those who work with them out.
But Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Friday that its military transport aircraft left Kabul partially vacant during the riots.
“No one can control the situation,” Robles told Spanish public radio RNE.
Since the Taliban took over, 12 people have been killed at or near Kabul Airport: officials
Reaching the facility is also a major challenge. Officials said Germany is sending two helicopters to Kabul to help bring a few people from other parts of the city to the airport.
As people increasingly worry about what the Taliban government will look like, the leaders of the organization are meeting with officials of the former Afghan government.
An Afghan official familiar with these talks stated that they will not have any results until the last U.S. troops withdraw, and they currently plan to leave on August 31.
According to the official who asked not to be named, the Taliban’s chief negotiator, Anas Haqqani, stated that the organization agreed that the United States would “do nothing” before that date because he has no right to inform the media. provide information. The Taliban have stated that they want an inclusive government, but like their other promises, it is not clear whether they will honor it.
In addition to concerns about the Taliban’s abuse of power, officials also warned that if there is no large-scale international aid to support the overthrown Western-backed government, Afghanistan’s already weak economy may collapse further. The United Nations says there is a severe shortage of food, and experts say the country urgently needs cash.
© 2021 Canadian Press
