Taliban Announces Formation Of Mobile Military Group In Badakhshan

OCHA warned that aid cuts could jeopardise gains and increase food insecurity and poverty in the country.

In a report published on Sunday, OCHA explained that most of the aid came in 2022, with resources peaking at nearly $3.3 billion.
The aid comes amid an unprecedented increase in poverty, economic crisis, political collapse and the risk of health system collapse.

The organisation spoke of the positive effects of international aid on poverty reduction and the humanitarian crisis, adding that "Afghanistan remains extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, climate change and geopolitical developments”.

Referring to the Taliban's Law on the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, OCHA expressed concern over the increasing restrictions on Afghan women and girls, calling it a sign of the human rights crisis and protection risks in the country.

The organisation stressed that international efforts have prevented famine and the number of vulnerable people has decreased. The absence of active fighting in the country has also facilitated better access and identification of needs in remote areas, OCHA said.

The organisation has warned that if the budget level is reduced, humanitarian gains will be quickly lost, and the vulnerable people of Afghanistan will once again face more suffering and damage.

Some observers have said that the Taliban members are misusing international humanitarian aid and interfering in its distribution.

The ministry said that it was acting in accordance with the procedure of the UN Assembly and recognised Afghanistan's representative to the United Nations as the representative of the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Taliban's embassy in Islamabad on Saturday had announced a meeting between the chargé d'affaires of the embassy, Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, and the ambassador of the Republic of Maldives to Pakistan, Mohamed Thoha.

After the meeting, the Maldives Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that in international relations, it acts in accordance with the procedure of the United Nations General Assembly regarding the person representing a state. The ministry stressed that in accordance with this procedure, the Maldives recognises Afghanistan's representative to the United Nations as the representative of the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Maldives Foreign Ministry stressed that "the recent meeting between the Maldivian ambassador to Pakistan and the Taliban representative in Islamabad took place without the approval of the Maldivian government”.

According to the statement, after the meeting, "appropriate measures have been taken by the Maldivian government," however, the Maldives Foreign Ministry did not elaborate on the measures.

On Saturday, the Taliban's embassy in Islamabad quoted the Maldivian ambassador as saying that the country "as a brotherly Muslim country, wants strong and close relations with Afghanistan”.

The Taliban's embassy quoted the Maldivian ambassador in Islamabad as saying that he expressed hope that they would be able to establish transit and trade relations with Central Asian countries through Afghanistan.

The Taliban diplomat said that the group wants constructive relations with all countries and is trying to turn Afghanistan into a regional connection point with economic-oriented policies.

The Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean, consisting of 1,192 islands, and is known as a tourist destination famous for its beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters.

So far, no country has recognised the Taliban, and the United Nations General Assembly has refused to accept the Taliban's representative. Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan's Acting Representative to the United Nations, is present.

The international community has conditioned the legitimacy of the Taliban on the observance of human rights, the formation of an inclusive national government, the observance of women's rights, especially the right to education and work, and the fight against terrorism.

The organisation noted that, in the past month alone, 13 Afghans were executed in Iran on various charges.

Statistics from the organisation indicate that 49 Afghan citizens have been executed in Iranian prisons this year.

The Taliban has yet to respond to the reported executions of Afghan citizens in Iran.

On Saturday, Iran Human Rights released its monthly report, warning of a surge in executions by the Islamic Republic amid escalating tensions with Israel.

The organisation disclosed that in October alone, the Islamic Republic executed 166 individuals, including 13 Afghans, across various charges. This represents the highest monthly execution count since 2007.

The report stated, “Following the presidential election and the onset of new tensions between Iran and Israel, the pace of executions has intensified.”

According to the report, since President Masoud Pezeshkian’s term began, at least 353 people have been executed in Iranian prisons over August, September, and October.

In October alone, executions included 13 Afghans, six women, 11 Baloch, nine Kurds, and one Iranian-German citizen.

The report detailed that, during this period, 80 individuals were executed for “premeditated murder,” 64 for drug offences, 12 for “enmity against God” or armed rebellion, and 10 for rape.

The report further highlighted an increase in executions of Afghan citizens in Iran following the Taliban’s rise to power. It recorded 16 Afghan executions in 2022, 25 in 2023, and at least 49 this year.

The organisation also reported that one prisoner with mental health issues, who had a history of hospitalisation, was executed in October, with two other individuals executed publicly.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, Director of Iran Human Rights, urged, “The international community and countries with diplomatic ties to Iran must take this warning seriously and respond firmly to prevent larger-scale atrocities by the Islamic Republic.”

The organisation noted that, of the 166 executions carried out last month, only 20 were reported by Iranian media.

Sproule clarified, however, that Canada cannot encourage military action against the Taliban and urged for a reduction in the restrictions currently imposed on Afghan citizens.

Sproule, who served as Canada’s Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, noted that every time he believes the situation in Afghanistan has reached a crisis point, new decrees from the Taliban further aggravate conditions.

He also predicted that the Taliban will likely remain in power for the foreseeable future, requiring Afghanistan to contend with continued Taliban rule.

Sproule underscored the need for a stable political framework, facilitated through international agreements. He advocated for a structure that includes power-sharing and reduces the constraints imposed on Afghans, particularly women and girls.

The Canadian Special Representative further remarked that internal and external pressures on the Taliban are mounting.

According to media reports, Sproule condemned the Taliban’s actions against women as “oppressive,” stating that these policies have led to widespread frustration and public discontent.

He criticised the Taliban’s ban on allowing women’s voices to be heard in public and expressed doubt that the Taliban will lose power in the near future.

This statement followed a request by Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, for Canada to support human rights in Afghanistan.

CBC News also interviewed Fariba Rezai, an Afghan activist living in Canada who leads an organisation focused on education and empowerment for Afghan women. Rezai suggested that Canada’s armed forces should consider returning to Afghanistan and that the Canadian government should provide military support to the resistance against the Taliban.

Several countries have previously declared that they do not support violent efforts to change the Taliban regime.

Although the Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed support for the NRF’s struggle against the Taliban, the U.S. Department of State reiterated that it does not endorse armed conflict in Afghanistan.

The United Kingdom similarly stated that pragmatic engagement with the Taliban administration remains the only viable option.

The National Resistance Front, a political and military movement formed following the Taliban’s return to power, has engaged in armed resistance against the group. Over the past three years, the NRF has waged attacks against Taliban forces across various regions of Afghanistan.

Sources from Takhar indicate that two days ago, the Taliban police commander in Darqad allegedly subjected this woman, along with several other women, to a severe beating over a longstanding land dispute.

Local sources shared images and details of the incident with Afghanistan International on Sunday.

According to these sources, Gul Bibi and a group of other women in Darqad district had clashed with a local Taliban commander and his associates over their attempts to take over the women’s land and destroy their crops. In response to the women’s resistance, the Taliban officials, allegedly in collusion with “a local land-grabber and bully,” intervened to forcibly remove the women from the property.

This land dispute has reportedly been a contentious issue for many years.

Sources added that when the women prevented the destruction of their crops, Taliban officials, including the district deputy and the police commander, arrived at the scene in the evening to pressure the women to withdraw. According to reports, Abdul Khaliq, the Taliban police commander in Darqad, beat the women when they refused the Taliban’s demand to vacate the land.

Gul Bibi, who was reportedly beaten more severely than the others, was transported to hospital. Sources report that she was initially taken to Taloqan and later transferred to a hospital in Kunduz, where she remained in a coma for approximately 24 hours before passing away on Saturday night.

Her children and relatives brought her body back to Darqad district for burial on Sunday. Local sources provided Afghanistan International with images of the funeral and burial ceremonies, which show Gul Bibi lying on a hospital bed under an oxygen machine, with visible bruises from the assault. Medical records from the Kunduz Regional Hospital, detailing her injuries, have also been shared with Afghanistan International.

In one video, a woman standing beside Gul Bibi’s body identifies herself as a “witness” to the assault and accuses Abdul Khaliq, the Taliban police commander in Darqad, of being the “murderer” of Gul Bibi.

Following the incident and the woman’s death, residents of Darqad district staged protests, prompting the Taliban to deploy forces to suppress the demonstrations.

Taliban officials have yet to issue any statement regarding the incident.