Contact with Taliban Necessary for Supporting Afghan Women and Girls, Says Norway

Miller stated that governments must obtain authorisation for the travel of Taliban officials who are on the United Nations sanctions list and respect this process.

He said, "member-states hosting UN-sanctioned Taliban members must seek permission for travel through an exemption process”.

He added that the authorisation must be obtained through the travel exemption process as specified in UN Sanctions Committee Resolution 1988, and, it is important for member states to follow this procedure.

On Tuesday, the Taliban's Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, made an official visit to Abu Dhabi and met with high-ranking Emirati officials, including the President of the UAE, in Abu Dhabi.

He made this trip despite the US offering a $10 million reward for Haqqani's capture due to his involvement in deadly terrorist attacks. This reward remains listed on the US Department of Justice's website.

The Taliban stated that strengthening relations between the UAE and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, digitising traffic management within the Interior Ministry, and facilitating visa issuance for Afghans were among the topics agreed upon by the UAE government and the Taliban's Interior Minister.

The reception of Haqqani at the level of the UAE President indicates the importance of this influential Taliban figure to the country.

Sources have indicated that he is likely to meet with US officials in the UAE during this trip.

The office stated that corporal punishment, such as flogging, violates human dignity and Afghanistan's international obligations.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, also condemned the corporal punishment by the Taliban and called for an end to this practice.

On Tuesday, the Taliban had announced that 63 people, including 49 men and 14 women, were publicly flogged in the central stadium of Sar-e Pul province. The Taliban's Supreme Court stated that these individuals were charged with "theft, sodomy, and illicit relations”.

In response to this action by the Taliban, the UN Human Rights Office said, "We are deeply disturbed by the widespread, continued use of corporal punishment in Afghanistan and urge the de facto authorities to immediately cease all forms of corporal punishment. "

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, also condemned the widespread flogging of men, women, and children in Sar-e Pul and Ghor for so-called "moral crimes" such as adultery and elopement. He emphasised that this practice violates Afghanistan's obligations to prohibit torture and other forms of cruel and inhuman punishment, calling for an immediate end to it.

The UN Human Rights Office stated that public punishments increase violence against women. The office said that women who are publicly punished for adultery and other “so-called” moral crimes are more at risk of domestic and social violence.

The Taliban has repeatedly rejected criticisms from governments and human rights organisations regarding corporal punishment in Afghanistan. The Taliban has accused foreign governments and organisations of interfering in its internal affairs and stated that these punishments have religious legitimacy and will not be abandoned.

The Taliban's Ministry of Agriculture also stated that Afghan saffron has achieved the top rank for best taste for the ninth time.

The International Institute of Taste annually assesses the quality of food products from various countries and ranks them following laboratory tests.

On Wednesday, the Taliban's Ministry of Agriculture announced that Herat saffron, representing Afghan saffron, was evaluated in the laboratory of this institute and Afghan saffron has achieved the top rank for best and highest quality taste for the ninth time.

The ministry, citing statistics from the Agricultural Statistics and Information Directorate for the year 2023, stated that a total of 8,304 hectares of land in 26 provinces of the country were under saffron cultivation. From this total land, over 23 metric tonnes of saffron were collected, with 22 metric tonnes harvested from Herat province.

Earlier, the Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce announced that in 2023, Afghanistan exported 67 tonnes of saffron worth USD 49 million to nine different countries.

The Taliban stated that following the prohibition of poppy cultivation, saffron cultivation has increased in 26 provinces of Afghanistan.

According to the sources, the two parties will discuss their security concerns.

Yesterday, Sirajuddin Haqqani embarked on his first foreign trip to the UAE and met with the President of the country.

Haqqani is the head of the Haqqani Network, and the Taliban refer to him as the “Conqueror of Kabul”. Given Haqqani’s position within the Taliban administration, his role is becoming increasingly significant over time.

Unresolved Issues Between the Taliban and the US

It is expected that the Taliban’s Minister of Interior will discuss important unresolved issues between the Taliban and Washington during his meeting with US officials.

Blacklist

The Taliban confirmed that the names of over 20 of their officials remain on the US blacklist. Since the Taliban’s return to power, not only have these names not been removed, but additional Taliban officials have been added to the list.

Over-the-Horizon Operations

Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, American drones have continued to patrol Afghan skies. Taliban officials have stated that Afghanistan’s airspace is “occupied by the US,” and they consider the continued drone patrols as an act of American coercion.

Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, recently admitted that the group lacks the capability to stop these patrols.

Prisoners

The US confirmed that two of its citizens are imprisoned by the Taliban. One of these prisoners is Ryan Corbett, who was arrested in August 2022. The identity of the second individual remains unknown.

The Taliban have confirmed that 16 foreign nationals are imprisoned by their group.

$10 Million Bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani

In 2012, the US designated the Haqqani Network as a terrorist group.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considers Sirajuddin Haqqani an international terrorist and initially offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, this reward was increased to $10 million. This bounty has not been revoked.

Girls’ Schools and Women’s Rights

The US has called for the reopening of girls’ schools and improvements in human rights under Taliban rule, but the group has ignored these demands from the US and the international community for nearly three years.

Taliban’s Relationship with Al-Qaeda

Severing ties with Al-Qaeda is a key element of the Doha Agreement. However, the United Nations Security Council states that the Taliban still maintains a relationship with Al-Qaeda.

According to reports, Ayman al-Zawahiri, the Al-Qaeda leader killed in a US airstrike in Kabul, was living in Sirajuddin Haqqani’s guesthouse.

Afghanistan International shared this information with Taliban officials, but they neither confirmed nor denied it.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, said that Sirajuddin Haqqani discussed strengthening relations between Afghanistan and the UAE, and securing cooperation in health and construction for the Taliban’s security institutions during his meeting with UAE officials.

On Wednesday, the Taliban spokesperson wrote that UAE officials had agreed to release Afghan prisoners from their jails.

Visa issuance for Afghans and digitisation

Afghanistan’s traffic system were other topics discussed by the Taliban and UAE officials.

The Taliban spokesperson stated that the UAE will participate in Afghanistan’s reconstruction, and investment companies from the UAE will invest in Afghanistan.

According to the sources, both parties exchanged their respective conditions.

Sources told Abdul Haq Omari, a reporter of Afghanistan International, that Abdul Manan Omari, the Taliban's Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, who went to Doha on May 27, met Ali bin Samikh, Qatar's Minister of Labour, and representatives from the United Nations and the United States.

According to the sources, US and UN representatives shared the 15-point agenda for the third round of Doha meeting with the Taliban representatives, and Hibatullah's envoy shared the Taliban's nine conditions with the US and UN representatives.

Topics for Third Round of Doha Meeting

According to the sources, the agenda for the third round of Doha talks includes the following 15 points:

1. Reviewing the human rights situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

2. Comprehensive discussion on the Taliban's stance towards women, girls, and the media.

3. Discussing the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan.

4. Assessing the demands of exiled politicians, Afghan women, and civil society representatives.

5. Challenges facing the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)

6. Evaluating the status of freedom of expression in Afghanistan under Taliban control

7. Report from the UN Security Council's special representative on security threats from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the region and the world

8. Discussion on decreasing job opportunities and increasing economic problems

9. Perspectives of the international community, including the US and regional countries, on Taliban rule in Afghanistan

10. Discussion on forming an inclusive government in Afghanistan

11. Assessing the fight against ISIS and drug trafficking in Afghanistan

12. Discussing the impacts of climate change on Afghanistan and strategies to combat it

13. Discussing challenges facing the private sector

14. Discussing challenges in Afghanistan's financial and banking system and seeking solutions

15. Comprehensive discussion on providing alternative crops to opium for Afghan farmers

Taliban's Conditions

According to the sources, the Taliban delegation led by Abdul Manan Omari presented the following nine conditions for their participation in the third round of Doha meeting during their coordination meeting with UN and US representatives in Qatar:

1. No appointment of a UN special representative for Afghanistan

2. Granting Taliban the Afghanistan seat at the United Nations

3. Lifting restrictions imposed on Taliban ministers and leaders by the US and UN

4. Allowing UN agencies to operate in Afghanistan in accordance with Taliban demands

5. Requesting the UN Security Council to stop issuing anti-Taliban statements

6. Ending statements and meetings with Afghans abroad regarding the ban on women and girls' education and work

7. Preventing unnecessary actions and pressure from the US and UN against the Taliban

8. Serious attention from the US, the international community, and the UN to humanitarian aid and climate change in Afghanistan and providing unconditional and continuous humanitarian aid

9. Cooperation from the UN in education and higher education should not be one-sided and solely focused on modern education.

Sources within the Taliban told Afghanistan International that Taliban representatives at this meeting stated that a Taliban delegation is ready to participate in the third round of Doha talks, but the final decision on participation depends on the group leader’s approval.

According to the sources, the Taliban delegation that may participate in the third round of Doha talks, if agreed, includes Amir Khan Muttaqi, Taliban's Foreign Minister; Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Din Mohammad Hanif, Minister of Higher Education; Abdul Manan Omari, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and special envoy of Mullah Hibatullah, Mohammad Naeem Wardak, Taliban ambassador in Qatar; and Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's nominee for Afghanistan's UN representation.

The third round of Doha talks is scheduled to be hosted by the United Nations in Doha, Qatar, on June 30 and July 1.