Afghan President says mobilizing forces against Taliban priority – 14/08/2021 – world

Suspected of being able to resign from office and with few public statements since the Taliban resumed an offensive in Afghanistan, President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday (14) that he was discussing with Afghan leaders and international partners and that his priority was to re-mobilize the troops. the country, which quickly succumbs to the advance of the fundamentalist group.

In a brief televised speech in the afternoon – morning in Brazil – Ghani suggested that he would not participate in the elections in a scenario in which the Taliban agreed to organize them.

“As president, my goal is to prevent further instability, violence and displacement of my people,” said the Afghan president. The resumption of the Taliban, 20 years after their departure from power, has revived a migration crisis in the region.

So far, the group has captured 18 of the country’s 34 provincial capitals and threatens 16 more as it advances towards Kabul, the nation’s capital. International observers predict that in this scenario the Taliban could be under control of the entire territory in less than a month.

On Wednesday (11), the Afghan president visited one of his strongholds, the northern city of Mozar-i-Salam, to try to join pro-government forces. On Thursday (12), according to information from the New York Times, he spoke by telephone with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and with the Secretary of Defense, Lhoyd Austin.

The president’s action has received criticism, including from former allies, who see him in an isolated position. “He refuses to admit the reality. The news reports one thing, but it hits him with a filter,” said Torek Farhadi, a former adviser to Ghani.

“He is isolated, confused and deeply reluctant with everyone,” former defense minister Tamim Asey said.

The advance of the Taliban also arouses fear within the international community. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres of Portugal said on Friday (13) that the UN is assessing the situation in the country every hour and that it has sent a team to Kabul, in addition to not yet having evacuated his contingent. in the countryside.

Guterres said he was dismayed by the advance of the fundamentalist group and by the allegations of human rights violations received by the United Nations, which, according to reports, were mainly threats against women and journalists.

“The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power by military force is a lost proposition,” he told reporters. “This could only lead to a prolonged civil war or the complete isolation of Afghanistan,” he added.

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