The UAE and Turkey to reduce missions in Afghanistan

 

The embassies of Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Afghanistan have intended to reduce their missions due to security concerns, according to a report by Sputnik.

Reportedly, international employees received threatening letters from unknown parties. Sputnik said that "the Turkish embassy has the plan to reduce its diplomatic activities in Afghanistan due to some security concerns." Sputnik quoted the sources as saying that “the UAE wants to move its diplomatic mission to a small office before closing its embassy in Afghanistan.” Sputnik quoted staff of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as saying that the employees were "officially" asked to protect themselves against any attack.

According to the news report by Sputnik, UNAMA offices and other international organisations in Afghanistan warned their staff that a car loaded with explosives had successfully infiltrated the Green Zone in Kabul, the Capital of Afghanistan. Reportedly, Taliban intelligence had informed UNAMA offices and other international organisations about the car.

The UNAMA is a UN (United Nations) Special Political Mission tasked with assisting the people of Afghanistan. It is a Special Political Mission operating since 2002.

In March 2022, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) renewed UNAMA’s mandate for another year, retaining its monitoring, reporting, humanitarian, and development role in order to protect and promote human rights and humanitarian assistance.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021. Since seizing power, the Taliban authorities claimed that they achieved full territorial control of the country. Subsequently, many Western-backed Afghan government leaders fled from the country.

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, human rights violations against women and girls have mounted steadily across the country. The Taliban also abolished the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In 2022, the Taliban decreed that women must cover their faces in public places. The Taliban also barred girls from attending school past the sixth grade.