Hugo Shorter announced on Saturday that his mission as head of the UK mission to Afghanistan has come to an end. Shorter had been in charge of the British Embassy for Afghanistan since January 2022.
The UK foreign office has not yet introduced the replacement of Shorter as the new head of mission for Afghanistan.
Shorter said that the UK mission’s priority under him has been life-saving support to around 28 million Afghans in need. He also said that his country has sent more than $600 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan since April 2021.
At the end of his term, Shorter also explained the policies of the British government towards Afghanistan. According to him, from London's perspective, after 40 years of conflict further violence is in no-one’s interest.
He stressed that instability and civil strife would lead to a deeper humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and there is a potential of Islamic State-Khurasan’s resurgence in the country.
The former British head of mission for Afghanistan has said that he has interacted with the Taliban and the Afghan society over the past year. Shorter acknowledged that some will not agree to the interaction with the Taliban, but he emphasised that "without dialogue, you cannot progress after years of conflict." According to him, "more isolation will not help the Afghan people”.
Shorter emphasised on the importance of girls' education in Afghanistan and said, "We must learn from the past. This means keeping dialogue open while remaining resolute on our principles."
