- The Taliban were close to forming a government on Friday.
- Islamists are faced with a huge challenge to transform from a rebel group to a ruling power.
- Ariane Afghan Airlines said it will resume domestic flights later on Friday.
The Taliban approached the formation of a government on Friday. The hardliners have vowed to rule Afghanistan with greater tolerance, especially in the area of women’s rights, which has received close attention from the international community.
A Taliban spokesperson told Agence France-Presse that the new government was previously expected to be announced after Friday afternoon prayers, but it will not be announced until Saturday at the earliest.
A few days after the United States withdrew its troops and ended the two-decade-long war, Islamists faced a huge challenge of transforming from an insurgent organization to a ruling power.
Although the West has adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the Taliban, there are signs that the pace of participation of new leaders is accelerating.
Read here | Afghan women and girls were forced to marry and flee the country because it fell into the Taliban, reports
China confirmed a tweet from a Taliban spokesperson a few hours ago stating that Beijing will keep its embassy in Kabul open.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: “We hope that the Taliban will establish an open and inclusive political structure, pursue a moderate and stable domestic and foreign policy, and draw a clear line between all terrorist organizations.”
The United Nations said it has restarted humanitarian flights to parts of the country, connecting the Pakistani capital Islamabad with Mazar-e-Sharif in the north of Afghanistan and Kandahar in the south.
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The country’s flagship airline, Ariane Afghan Airlines, said it would resume domestic flights later on Friday, while the United Arab Emirates sent a plane carrying “emergency medical and food assistance”.
Western Union and MoneyGram said they are resuming remittances, and many Afghans rely on relatives abroad to survive. Qatar said it is working to reopen the airport in Kabul, the lifeline of aid.
The threat of humanitarian disaster
Even before the Taliban launched their lightning offensive, Afghanistan relied heavily on aid-40% of the country’s GDP came from foreign funds.
The United Nations warned that 18 million people are staring at the barrel of humanitarian disaster, and another 18 million may soon join them.
The new ruler promised to be more accommodating than during the first time in power from 1996 to 2001, which also happened after years of conflict—first the Soviet invasion in 1979 and then the bloody civil war.
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The regime is notorious for its cruel interpretation of Sharia law and its treatment of women who are forced to close their doors, denied access to school and work, and freedom of movement.
This time, the Taliban have stated on many occasions that they will not retaliate against their opponents, and women will have the opportunity to receive education and employment.
They promised to establish a more “inclusive” government that represents Afghanistan’s complex ethnic makeup.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stated that the international community must test the “sincerity” of the Taliban.
During his visit to Pakistan, Raab said: “The important thing at this stage is to judge the Taliban through these preliminary and possibly mild tests and see if they can deliver.” There he discussed the issue of the safe exit of Afghans.
On Friday, the European Union also proposed conditions for enhanced contact with the Taliban, agreeing to establish a joint Kabul “presence” to help evacuate if security permits.
Women protest
Speculation about the composition of the new government prevails, although a senior official said this week that women are unlikely to be included.
In Kabul, about 30 women took to the streets, demanding the right to work and integrate into the government—just a few days ago, dozens of women in the western city of Herat staged similar protests.
Before the Taliban announced the new government, women’s rights were not the only major issue.
In Kabul, residents expressed concern about the country’s long-standing economic difficulties, which are now severely worsened by the takeover of radical movements.
“With the arrival of the Taliban, it can be said that there is security, but the business has fallen below zero,” Karim Can, the owner of the electronics store, told AFP.
The United Nations warned earlier this week that a “humanitarian disaster” was imminent in Afghanistan because it called for a way out for those who still want to escape the new regime.
The Italian Foreign Minister was scheduled to visit Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Qatar and Pakistan on Friday to assist Afghan refugees.
Qatar’s foreign minister said on Thursday that the Gulf country is cooperating with the Taliban to reopen Kabul’s airport as soon as possible.
Turkey stated that it is also evaluating proposals by the Taliban and other organizations to play a role in airport operations.
There were also normal signs in Kabul on Friday, where almost crowded people watched the top Afghan cricketers in the trial match-this was the first game since the city fell into the hands of the insurgents-the Taliban Witnesses flew side by side with the Afghan flag as a sign of national unity.
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