Norway Hosts Taliban Officials At Oslo Forum Despite Protests By Afghans
Despite criticism from Afghans, Norway's Foreign Ministry has once again invited a Taliban delegation to attend a forum on how to resolve conflicts through dialogue in Oslo.
Despite criticism from Afghans, Norway's Foreign Ministry has once again invited a Taliban delegation to attend a forum on how to resolve conflicts through dialogue in Oslo.
Sources said that Norway has invited low-ranking Taliban officials instead of senior officials of the group, who they had invited in 2022, to Oslo.
In addition to the Taliban officials, other Afghan politicians and activists along with participants from various backgrounds and different parts of the world are also present at the Oslo Freedom Forum, which has been held with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
Public pressure has pushed the Norwegian Foreign Ministry not to invite senior Taliban leaders to the Oslo Forum and instead, the Taliban participants include Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman of the Taliban Foreign Ministry, and other officials from the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defence of the group.
The presence of Taliban officials at the Oslo Freedom Forum has once again provoked protests from Afghans.
Earlier, Mina Rafiq, Afghan women’s rights activist, protested against the presence of Taliban officials in the Oslo meeting, in front of Norway’s foreign ministry.
On Tuesday, the Afghan Women's Political Participation Network also criticised the presence of the Taliban at the Oslo Forum. The network said in a statement that Norway has welcomed human rights violators who have deprived Afghan women of education, work, and other social activities.
The network has accused Norway of supporting "a terrorist group" by hosting Taliban officials.
The presence of Taliban officials at the Oslo meeting has also been criticised by Afghan citizens on social media.
