Will not recognize Taliban if they gain power in Afghanistan by force: EU envoy

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 2 (ANI): Amid the unrelenting violence in Afghanistan by the Taliban, European Union has reiterated that if the terrorist group rise to power by force, the European Union and other countries will not recognize their regime.

“If Taliban rise to power militarily, the EU will not recognize them,” said Thomas Nicholson, head of the European Union delegation to Afghanistan, as quoted by The Afghanistan Times. The EU envoy also expressed concern about the security situation in the country, saying that the bloc is trying to stay involved as much as possible.

“We are clearly very concerned about the situation. We are trying to stay involved in Afghanistan as much as possible and will continue our development assistance. We will be involved politically as well,” Nicholson said. He said the Taliban had no proposals at the negotiating table but “If they put the plan of the Islamic Emirate on the table in the 1990s or any plan that is the Islamic Emirate, no, it will not be acceptable.”

This comes as violence has been on the rise in Afghanistan in recent weeks as the Taliban stepped up its offensive after US and NATO troops began withdrawing from the country. On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that in the past two decades, the Taliban has become “more cruel and more oppressive.”

During a virtual cabinet meeting, Ghani said, “Yes, they (Taliban) have changed but negatively. They have no wish for peace, for prosperity, or progress; we want peace but they want surrender (subdued people and government).” Ghani’s remarks come as an Afghan watchdog released a report stating that 1,677 civilians were killed and 3,644 more were injured in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year. This shows an 80 per cent increase in casualties compared to the same period in 2020, the report said.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said on Sunday said these killings took place in 1,594 different security incidents. (ANI)