Taliban lifts ban on Red Cross in Afghanistan
The Taliban on Sunday rescinded a ban it had imposed in April on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Islamist militia said the ICRC “consented to following the old agreement on top of new promises in humanitarian aid,” and that aid workers were permitted to “resume their activities.”
The Taliban also vowed to “restore security guarantees” for the ICRC’s workers and equipment and “pave the way” for the aid group’s activities.
Aid workers in Afghanistan have been frequently targeted by militias while operating in the war-torn country.
“We welcome the acknowledgment of our humanitarian principles and renewal of security guarantees,” Schaerer Juan-Pedro, head of ICRC in Kabul, said on Twitter.
In April, the Taliban banned both the ICRC and the World Health Organization (WHO) from operating in Afghan regions under the Islamist militia’s control. Security guarantees were also revoked.
The Taliban accused the ICRC of “suspicious” activities during vaccination campaigns and of failing to monitor conditions in Afghan jails and provide medical aid to Taliban prisoners.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Fragile security
Repeated attacks in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 have killed and wounded hundreds of innocent Afghans, and shown the world the fragile and worsening state of security in the conflict-stricken country. The incidents have plunged war-weary Afghan citizens into a state of despair and highlighted the limitations faced by the government in Kabul in ensuring public security.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
A long series of attacks
The violent incidents have made Afghanistan once again a staple of international headlines. Outfits like the Taliban and the “Islamic State” (IS) have claimed responsibility for the attacks. The Afghan government is under heavy pressure to restore security and take back territory controlled by a number of insurgent groups, including the Taliban and IS.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Spring offensive
In 2018, the Taliban announced the start of their annual spring offensive, dismissing an offer of peace talks by President Ashraf Ghani. The militants, fighting to restore their version of strict Islamic law to Afghanistan, said their campaign was a response to a more aggressive US military strategy adopted in 2017, which aims to force the militants into peace talks.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Trump’s Afghanistan policy
US President Donald Trump unveiled a new strategy for Afghanistan in 2017, vowing to deploy more troops to train and advise Afghan security forces. Trump also pledged to support Afghan troops in their war against the Taliban and maintain US presence in the country for as long as there was a need for it. In 2019, he reversed course and promised a troop pullout.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Afghan peace process
Despite President Ghani’s offer in February 2018 for peace talks “without preconditions,” the Taliban had until 2019 shown no interest, dismissing the peace overtures as a “conspiracy.”
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Pakistani support
Pakistan has been under pressure from Kabul and Washington to stop offering safe havens to militants blamed for attacks in Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad denies and insists that its influence over the insurgents has been exaggerated. Kabul and Islamabad regularly trade accusations of harboring the other country’s militants and the harsh language has underscored the strains between them.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
Role of the warlords
Apart from the Taliban, Afghan warlords exercise massive influence in the country. Last year, Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned to Kabul after a 20-year exile to play an active role in Afghan politics. In September 2016, the Afghan government signed a deal with Hekmatyar in the hope that other warlords and militant groups would seek better ties with Kabul.
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The endless battle for power in Afghanistan
An inefficient government
In the midst of an endless battle for power, President Ghani’s approval ratings continue to plummet. Rampant corruption in the Afghan government and a long tug-of-war within the US-brokered national unity government has had a negative impact on the government’s efforts to eradicate terrorism.
No end to violence in Afghanistan
Aid groups say they strive to maintain neutrality while operating in Afghanistan, and in turn, militants pledge to provide security for aid operations.
When operating in Taliban-controlled areas, the ICRC provides assistance after fighting between the militants and the Afghan army.
Aid operations include transportation and handling of bodies from battlefields, arranging family visits for prisoners on both sides of the conflict and providing health services.
Afghan troops have been engaged in heavy fighting with the Taliban, and several militant-controlled districts have been taken by the Afghan army.
Read more:Why did President Donald Trump call off Taliban talks?
According to the Red Cross, an estimated 140,000 people received treatment at one of the seven rehabilitation centers in Afghanistan last year.
The Taliban regularly strikes Afghan government installations. The militants have vowed to continue fighting after US President Donald Trump canceled negotiations on an American withdrawal from Afghanistan after 18 years of war.
wmr/rc (dpa, AFP, Reuters)
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