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Taliban leaders attend a meeting in Russia in 2021. Photo/REUTERS
KABUL – The Taliban refuse to attend a UN-sponsored conference in Qatar, and insist their delegation must be recognized as the sole representative of Afghanistan.
According to the Associated Press, the Taliban wants to exclude Afghan “civil society members” who were invited to participate in the two-day meeting in Doha ending on Monday (19/2/2024).
The Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, has requested that the UN convene a meeting involving Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
“We have asked for important issues to be discussed at the meeting but the absence of an agreement between the UN and the Islamic Emirate means the meeting is a waste of time,” Mujahid told Tolo News.
No country officially recognizes the Taliban government, which took power in Kabul in 2021 during the final stages of the US troop withdrawal.
The UN also does not recognize the Taliban group's authority over Afghanistan.
During a press conference on Monday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres rejected the Taliban's demands as “unacceptable.”
“This condition deprives us of the right to speak with other representatives of Afghan society and demand treatment that is largely akin to recognition,” Guterres stressed.
He called on the Taliban to lift restrictions on women's access to education and employment, as one step toward potential recognition.