No Afghan Leader Can Negotiate Foreign Troop Presence, Says Former Taliban Envoy

Speaking at the Cambridge Afghanistan Series-IV, Jeremiah Kingsley Mamabolo said apartheid was not limited to racial segregation but also encompassed gender and economic discrimination. He praised Afghan women for their courage in continuing to fight for education and dignity despite severe restrictions.

Kingsley drew parallels with South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, noting that its eventual defeat required both internal resistance and international pressure, including sanctions and boycotts. He stressed that victory over apartheid would not have been possible without global solidarity built on shared values of justice, democracy and human rights.

He said South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution was rooted in those principles and a philosophy of Ubuntu, “you are because we are,” arguing such an approach could also help Afghanistan today.

Kingsley urged Afghans not to lose hope, stressing that unity at home and international support could pave the way to an inclusive future. He suggested institutions such as the Mandela Foundation share their reconciliation experience with Afghan civil society.

The High Commissioner also cited the resistance of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the late anti-Taliban commander assassinated in 2001, as an example of standing against extremism.

The annual Cambridge Conference, organised by Mosaic, gathered Afghan and international speakers to debate proposals for Afghanistan’s future. Organisers said they had merged 12 different roadmaps from various groups into a single comprehensive plan for discussion.

The visit took place in Taybad, a district near the frontier. The project covers 300 kilometres of the eastern border, of which more than 135 kilometres have been completed. It includes concrete walls, fencing, barbed wire, watchtowers and electronic and optical surveillance systems.

Hatami praised Iranian border guards for their role in carrying out the plan.

Iran shares a 945-kilometre border with Afghanistan, spanning the provinces of Khorasan Razavi, South Khorasan and Sistan-Baluchestan. Military officials say the project is aimed at strengthening security and countering potential threats along the frontier.

Rania Dagash, WFP’s deputy regional director, warned that overlapping crises have pushed millions of Afghans to the brink of collapse.

The agency has forecast that by 2025, acute malnutrition will reach its highest recorded level in Afghanistan, with more than 4.7 million children and women requiring urgent treatment. UN figures show that every 10 seconds a child in the country becomes malnourished.

Afghanistan’s health system collapsed after the Taliban takeover in 2021, with hundreds of clinics closing. The crisis has been compounded by cuts in US aid and repeated natural disasters, including floods and earthquakes, leaving millions without access to food and healthcare.

Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly appealed for sustained international support, warning that without immediate action, Afghanistan faces a worsening emergency that could claim countless young lives.

Local residents said the outage began on 18 September. The Taliban-appointed governor of Herat has reportedly ordered money exchangers and businesses to obtain special permits to access the internet, with wireless connections restricted to registered phone numbers.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said earlier this week that fibre optic internet had already been blocked in nine provinces.

The shutdowns began in Balkh province and were carried out under a direct order from Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The clerics have banned funeral gatherings in places other than the deceased’s home and prohibited the participation of women except for immediate relatives.

At a recent meeting with community elders, hotel owners and government representatives, the clerics said preparing food by the deceased’s family during the first three days of mourning is “discouraged” and ordered that neighbours should provide meals for mourners instead.

The council also banned traditional almsgiving on the third day, Fridays, the 40th day and death anniversaries. It instructed that donations for the poor should instead be distributed before funeral prayers.

According to the decision, distributing Qurans, household items or other goods at mourning ceremonies is prohibited. Placing cloths inscribed with Quranic verses on coffins has also been banned.

Akhundzada issued his decree in March, ordering an end to what he called “extravagance” and “un-Islamic expenses” in weddings, funerals and post-pilgrimage ceremonies.

The Balkh clerics warned hoteliers, local elders and officials that violations of the order will be prosecuted.
The ban on funeral gatherings in venues other than private homes comes after some citizens, lacking space, had used hotels or city funeral halls to host services.

The Taliban has already shut down women’s mourning halls across the country as part of its broader restrictions on women.

Despite the new limitations, Taliban leaders have themselves attended high-profile funerals, including those of former refugees minister Khalil Haqqani and Pashto poet Mutiullah Turab in Nangarhar, where senior officials made prominent appearances.