Tag: Afghanistan

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NEWS & LIFE

No known registered Nigerians with NIDO-Asia in Afghanistan, says former president

Dr Jonathan Obaje, former President, Nigerians in Diaspora (NIDO) Singapore in Asia, says he is not aware of any member of the association living in Afghanistan.

Obaje, a leading member of NIDO-Asia and Nigerian scientist based in Singapore, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

The scientist was speaking against the backdrop of the Taliban take over of government in Afghanistan and the resultant evacuation of foreign nationals from the country by their home governments.

‘So, even if there are Nigerians living in Afghanistan, they would be just a few private individuals.

“Of course, there is no country where there are no Nigerians. But even if there are Nigerians living in Afghanistan, none has registered as a member of NIDO.

“There is no known Nigerian embassy in Afghanistan and it is very difficult to get contacts, except one reaches out to the nation’s diplomatic commission in Nigeria,” he said.

He said although Afghanistan is in Asia, the organisation has not had any dealings that would connect it with the area.

He, however, said that at the moment, the organisation “does not have a representative saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the affairs of Nigerians in the whole of Asia.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS & LIFE

Over 18,000 people evacuated since Sunday from Kabul airport

NATO officials on Friday, said over 18,000 people were flown out of Kabul, since the Taliban took over Afghanistan’s capital, pledging to redouble evacuation efforts.

Thousands of people, desperate to flee the country, were still thronging the airport, the official who declined to be identified told Reuters, though the Taliban had urged people without legal travel documents to go home.

The speed with which the Taliban conquered Afghanistan as U.S. and other foreign troops were completing their withdrawal, surprised even their own leaders and had left power vacuums in many places.

However, Taliban urged unity ahead of Friday prayers, the first since they seized power, calling on Imams to persuade people not to leave Afghanistan amid the chaos at the airport, protests and reports of violence.

A witness told Reuters that several people were killed in the eastern city of Asadabad on Thursday, when Taliban militants fired on a crowd demonstrating their allegiance to the vanquished Afghan Republic, as the Taliban set about establishing an emirate, governed by strict Islamic laws.

There were similar shows of defiance in two other cities, Jalalabad and Khost in the east, as Afghans used celebrations of the nation’s 1919 Independence from British control, to vent their anger on the Taliban takeover.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL

I have a lot of stories to tell – Arana, Afghan top artiste who joined cargo plane to Turkey

Arana Sayeed

Afghan leading artiste and ‘The Voice’ judge, Aryana Sayeed, has revealed her location after she fled Afghanistan following the takeover of the country by the Taliban.

She had been very close to the sacked government, with records of overt support for its military.

While her whereabouts had been unsure since the Taliban’s ascension, she burst out on Instagram on Thursday, declaring she was now based in Turkey.

But she claimed she had a lot to say. “I am well and alive and after a couple of unforgettable nights, I have reached Doha, Qatar and am awaiting my eventual flight back home to Istanbul.

“After I get home and my mind and emotions return back to normal from a world of disbelief and shock, I have many stories to share with you.”

A singer, songwriter and TV personality Sayeed sings mostly in Persian/Dari but also has many songs in Pashto. She is one of Afghanistan’s most famous musical artists, performing regularly in concerts and philanthropic festivals within and outside Afghanistan. Sayeed has also had host roles in musical television shows for the 1TV and TOLO networks.

In 2017, she won the Afghan Icon Award and was named the 2017 Best Female Artist of Afghanistan. She also received the title “Voice of Afghanistan” from the Afghanistan National Television and Radio Network. Aryana has also received awards for Best Song of the Year, Best Video of the Year, and a Bravery Award

Her online profile indicates that she was born in 1985 in Kabul, Afghanistan to a Pashto-speaking father (Pashtun) and a Dari-speaking (presumably Tajik) mother. Her parents left Afghanistan when she was 8 years old and lived in Peshawar, Pakistan before settling in Switzerland. By the age of 12, she had obtained admission to a music school where she would perform in places with a choir, “Even though it wasn’t for long, that definitely made me realize what I wanted to become when I grew older.” she has said in her interviews.

Arana Sayeed

Sayeed’s first single, in 2008, was MashAllah. However, her turning point in her career came after her song Afghan Pesarak got released in 2011.[6] Aryana Sayeed became a household name in many Afghan homes outside of Afghanistan and was requested to perform at many concerts around the world. At the peak of all the sudden success, Aryana decided to go to Afghanistan and perform at concerts inside her fragile home country. Aryana Sayeed rose to fame there with her version of an old classic Afghan song, Gule Seb. It was during these initial days in Afghanistan when she filmed her next song Dilam Tang Ast.

The success of the song resulted in an Award for best song filmed inside Afghanistan at the Aryana Television Awards. It also resulted in a new career as a TV host at one of Afghanistan’s leading entertainment channels. Her next song Hairanam did reasonably well. Aryana’s next big success, Jelwa, was a collaboration with one of the leading singers in the Afghan Music Industry, Jawid Sharif. This was the second time they paired up after their initial success, Biya Biya.

Aryana Sayeed followed this up by an upbeat nationalistic song to encourage the art of sports in her country. Several singers were signed on to make the song, Afghanistan Afghanistan. Aryana’s, Banoo e Atash Nasheen which describes the pain the women of Afghanistan have faced over years of war and abuse has won her enormous critical acclaim. A large orchestra has contributed to the music of the song and the shooting took place inside Afghanistan. Shortly after the song was released, Aryana was asked for an interview by the BBC to explain her reason and meaning behind the song. Her next big hit was Anaram Anaram which put Aryana back at the top of the charts in Afghanistan.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS & LIFE

U.S. freezes billions in Afghan currency reserves

Biden raises refugee admissions cap to 62,500 after backlash
US President Joe biden

The U.S. Government froze Afghanistan government reserves held in US bank accounts as the Taliban rolled into the capital of Kabul, according to a report on Thursday.

The move is an attempt to keep Afghanistan’s new rulers, the Taliban, from accessing billions of dollars after the militant group took control over the country.

The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity that Afghanistan’s central bank Ajmal Ahmady fled after the Taliban came to power.

On Wednesday, Ahmady said on Twitter that around seven billion dollars of the reserves were held in the U.S. central bank.

Ahmady said another two billion dollars were invested elsewhere internationally.

“Given that the Taliban are still on international sanction lists, it is expected that such assets will be frozen and not accessible to Taliban,” he said in a Twitter thread.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration cancelled bulk shipments of dollars headed for Afghanistan last week as Taliban fighters were poised to take control of Kabul.

Citing people familiar with the matter, the paper reported that the United States is also blocking Taliban access to government accounts managed by the Federal Reserve and other U.S. banks.

It said that the U.S. also working to prevent the group from accessing nearly 500 million dollars worth of reserves at the International Monetary Fund.

A Biden administration official was quoted as saying “any central bank assets the Afghan government has in the United States will not be made available to the Taliban.”

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS & LIFE

Lufthansa flight with 130 evacuees from Kabul lands in Frankfurt

A Lufthansa flight carrying some 130 evacuees from the Afghan capital Kabul landed in Frankfurt early on Wednesday as the country’s effort to repatriate its countrymen after the Taliban takeover finally gained momentum.

The Airbus 340 jet chartered by the German Government had taken off from the Uzbek capital Tashkent, where an evacuation hub has been set up.

In consultation with the Berlin Government, Lufthansa would also offer evacuation flights from Doha in Qatar and possibly from other countries bordering Afghanistan after a sluggish start, a government spokesperson said.

Yet unknown number of flights were planned for the next few days.

Germany’s evacuation got off to a slow start on Monday.

The first Germany military plane had brought just seven people out of Afghanistan after dropping off Bundeswehr paratroopers at the Kabul airport, with the small number of evacuees prompting reactions of dismay online.

Hours later, a second evacuation plane carried 129 people from 15 countries to Tashkent.

By late Tuesday a third aircraft from Kabul with 139 on board had landed in Tashkent, ahead of onward transport to Germany with Lufthansa.

Four more evacuation flights were planned for Wednesday to compensate for a flight that was not carried out the day before.

According to the Defence Ministry in Berlin, more than 260 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier demanded that Germany do everything possible to bring its own compatriots and the Afghans who had stood by them for years to safety.

Steinmeier also called for ways to help those threatened by violence or death in Afghanistan, including many courageous women.

He and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both acknowledged that the West had failed to build a sustainable political system in Afghanistan.

“We are experiencing a human tragedy these days for which we share responsibility, and a political caesura that will shake us and change the world,’’ Steinmeier said.

As leaders predicted refugees would flee from Afghanistan, fearing repression or reprisals under the militant Islamists.

Merkel said the first step would be to consider the safest options in neighbouring countries for those fleeing, before discussing the number of refugees countries should take in.

“Then, in a second step, we can think about whether people who are particularly affected should come to Europe and to European countries in a controlled and supported manner,’’ Merkel said.

She discussed the situation with UN Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

All agreed to work closely to evacuate European citizens and local forces.

In the evening, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said around 180 people were waiting to fly out of Kabul airport but that the Taliban were only allowing foreign nationals to reach the airport, raising questions about how Afghans would be able to get out of the country.

German ambassador Markus Potzel flew to Doha to hold talks to negotiate the safe departure of local staff that had supported German efforts in the country.

There was widespread criticism that Germany’s first plane to leave Kabul held only seven passengers, but the government said it had no other choice.

A German Foreign Ministry spokesman blamed the chaotic circumstances at the airport and regular exchanges of fire at the access point.

The aircraft had to leave the airport after only a short time on the ground, he said.

Before the military transport efforts started on Monday, 40 German citizens had been flown out of Kabul on a U.S. plane on Sunday and landed in Berlin on Tuesday.

Meanwhile Development Minister Gerd Mueller announced that Germany would end development aid to Afghanistan.

He also said that all German and international employees of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), which was responsible for official development assistance, had safely left the country.

Afghanistan has so far been the number one recipient of German development aid, with 250 million euros (294 million dollars) budgeted for this year.

This was in addition to funds from other ministries, for example for humanitarian aid or police training. In total, Germany had pledged 430 million euros for this year.

In contrast, the EU which according to its own figures has provided 4 billion euros in aid over the past two decades pledged to uphold its assistance to Afghanistan.

“The EU is committed to continuing to provide aid to those in critical need,’’ European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic tweeted on Tuesday.

The SPD’s candidate to be the next German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said the evacuation from Afghanistan was the most important task facing the German government at the moment.

The Bundestag’s Committee on Internal Affairs was set to hold a special session about Afghanistan on Thursday.

Meetings of the committees primarily responsible for foreign affairs and defence have already been scheduled for Wednesday.

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NEWS & LIFE

British Govt. plans to take Afghan refugees under criticism

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to tell members of parliament that there must be an immediate increase in aid to Afghanistan to avert a humanitarian crisis erupting in the country.

Johnson said the aid was to assist the sufferings of Afghanistans due to the crisis in the country following the Taliban’s seizure of power.

Members of Parliament would return to parliament from their summer break for an emergency sitting on Wednesday, after Afghanistan’s capital Kabul fell to the militants on Sunday.

Johnson and the government had come under increasing pressure over the handling of the downfall of the Western-backed government and the subsequent evacuation of British nationals and local allies.

On Tuesday night, Johnson announced a new settlement scheme, which would allow up to 20,000 Afghan vulnerable refugees to seek sanctuary in Britain over the coming years.

He was also expected to tell parliamentarians of the steps the international community needs to take to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan.

This included the immediate increase in humanitarian aid to the country and the surrounding region as well as a longer-term project to support refugees.

But the settlement scheme was criticised as falling short of what was needed, and Johnson can expect to come under fire from former Armed Services personnel on his own backbenches as he updates parliamentarians on the work done to mitigate the crisis so far.

Protests were also planned outside of parliament calling for support for Afghans and their families who have worked with the allies.

Speaking to U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday night, Johnson stressed the importance of work in the region and not to lose the gains of the last 20 years.

A Spokesperson for Johnson said: “the Prime Minister and President Joe Biden agreed on the need for the global community to come together to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.’’

While Home Secretary Priti Patel, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said Britain had committed to taking in 5,000 refugees.

He said these refugees were at risk of persecution by the Taliban in the first year of the new settlement scheme and up to 20,000 overall the country could not take all the strain alone.

The newspaper reported that Johnson had spoken to the French and German governments, and Patel led talks with the Five Eyes intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The U.S. would identify safe and legal routes for those who needed to leave Afghanistan.

But opposition parties said this was not enough and criticised the scope of the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, which would give priority to women and girls, as well as religious and other minorities.

Human rights groups also hit out at government plans over immigration more widely.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, Labour’s shadow home secretary, welcomed that a scheme was now in place but said there needed to be a more urgent plan of action.

“This proposal does not meet the scale of the challenge. Not only does that risk leaving people in Afghanistan in deadly danger.

“It will also undermine the leadership role Britain must play in persuading international partners to live up to their responsibilities,’’ he said.

Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood was also vocal in his criticism of the scheme, calling it woefully inadequate.

He told the Daily Mirror: “the government really needs to see the bigger picture here and grasp the scale of the crisis we created. We are capping the numbers to 5,000 for the first year when the threat is at its greatest.’’

The government said the new scheme was in addition to the 5,000 Afghans already expected to move to Britain under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which is designed to offer local allies such as interpreters’ priority relocation.

Government figures showed 2,000 have already arrived under the ARAP programme.

Since Saturday, officials said 520 British nationals, diplomats and former Afghan staff have left Afghanistan on British military flights.

A flight carrying evacuated British nationals and Afghans landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday night.

It comes after the Ministry of Defence said the first flight of British nationals and embassy staff arrived at the base on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, claims from the Taliban that it would respect human rights and uphold the rights of women and girls within the framework of Sharia law have so far been treated with skepticism.

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INTERNATIONAL

We didn’t foresee Taliban takeover – Britain

EU chiefs sign post-Brexit trade deal, Johnson to sign for Britain
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has admitted that the UK government did not foresee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Raab added that Britain would have to engage with the Taliban in the future in order to hold them to account for their actions.

Dominic Raab said several nations were “caught off-guard” by the quick and hostile nature of the militant group’s takeover, which has prompted Afghans to flee the country.

He added that British intelligence had been tracking what was happening on the ground in Afghanistan “very carefully” after the United States decided to reduce its troops in the country.

Speaking to Sky News, Raab said, “the truth is, across the world, people were caught by surprise. I haven’t spoken to an international interlocutor, including countries in the region over the last week, who hasn’t been surprised.

“We saw a very swift change in the dynamics, and of course, this has been part and parcel of the withdrawal of Western troops, but it has also been the way and the approach of the Taliban.

“Of course, it’s been a test for the Afghan security forces.

“All of those factors have been very fluid.

“But no one saw this coming. Of course, we will have taken action if we had.”

He defended his decision to return from his holiday when he did, adding he arrived back in Britain as soon as the situation deteriorated and demanded it.

In another interview with BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, Raab said Britain believed the Taliban would attempt to move in later in autumn and in a more gradual manner.

Asked if he would sit down with his counterpart in a Taliban Government, the Foreign Secretary said it would not happen “for the foreseeable future” but added there has always been some form of communication between Britain and the militant group.

He told BBC Breakfast that “we’ve always had dialogue of some sort, either indirectly through third parties, or through the Taliban’s political commission in Doha.

“It is important to be able to engage at least in some shape or form to test and to exert as much influence as we credibly, realistically can, and also to try and hold the Taliban to account to the new commitments they made.

“We’ve got to try and use every lever working with our partners, working with the UN, working with NATO, to try and secure a more moderating influence, and a better course for the Afghan people in the months and years ahead.”

Around 900 armed forces were in Afghanistan helping to bring British nationals home and secure the safety of selected Afghans.

Raab said 150 British nationals were flown out on Sunday while last week 289 Afghan nationals were also taken out.

A further 350 British and Afghans would be taken out of the country in the next 24 hours.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS & LIFE

Afghanistan: ‘Reliance on America will be deadly for Nigeria’

Fanikayode

Afghanistan: Reliance On America Or The International Community To Defend Our Nation Will Be Deadly- FFK

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has shared his view ont the situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban take over the presidential palace at Kabul.

The Taliban succeeded in overthrowing the Afghanistan government after the U.S. withdrew their troops following a 20-year occupation.

He wrote:

“Twenty years after the Americans drove the Taliban out of power in Afghanistan and after spending trillions of dollars to stop them from returning, the war against Islamist terror in that country has been lost.

Kabul has finally fallen to the Taliban and the Afghan President has fled out of the country. This is a victory of evil over good. The implications for millions of Afghans are obvious and the implications for the entire region and the international community are legion.

As from today Islamist terrorist groups all over the world will have massive financial, logistical and moral support from a strong Islamist Government in Afghanistan.

Apart from that millions of Afghan men who refuse to accept the dictates of the Islamists and jihadists will be executed and millions of Afghan women and girls will be enslaved.

Two lessons can be learnt from this. Firstly we must NEVER rely on the Americans or the international community to defend our nation from the terrorists that are ravaging our land and instead we must do it ourselves.

Secondly we must come together, unite, forget our differences and collectively fight and resist the scourge of Islamist terror that has plagued our land.

May God NEVER allow Boko Haram, ISWAP, the foreign Fulani militias or any other terrorist organisation to fly their flag over our nation, take over our nations capital, defeat our Armed Forces and conquer Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the Taliban has declared amnesty for government officials, urging them to return to work.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS & LIFE

Normalcy returns to Afghan capital, govt urges workers to return to work

Normalcy returned to Kabul, capital of Afghanistan as the Taliban on Tuesday urged the government employees to return to work, two days after the group took control of the capital.

The Taliban urged all to start routine life with confidence, as they declared a general amnesty.

It also urged women to join its government.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the situation in Kabul was completely under control and that law and order had returned to the city.

Mujahid reiterated that life and properties of people were safe as there were reports that the Taliban has arrested about 200 people involved in looting of government properties and vehicles.

The Taliban leadership has ordered its members and “once again instructs them that no one is allowed to enter anyone’s house without permission.

“Life, property and honour of none shall be harmed or tampered with during this course, but must be protected,’’ Mujahid said.

Late on Monday, flight of military transport planes was resumed and dozens of flights were conducted all the night, according to residents living around the airport.

The planes were evacuating foreigners and some of their Afghan workers.

The flight suspended on Monday morning after a big rush of people at the airport.

Taliban members on Monday took control of the outside of Kabul airport while thousands of U.S. forces were inside the airport helping to evacuate the crowds.

At least 10 Afghans were reportedly killed in the stampede and a shooting inside the airport within the past two days.

Also on Monday, the offices of the Afghan Public Health Ministry and the Kabul municipality were reopened.

Wahid Majrooh, acting minister of public health, appeared together with Taliban public health representatives in a televised footage, urging medical workers to return to their jobs, including female medical employees.

Small shops were also reopened around the city while banks and business centres mostly remained closed as of Tuesday morning.

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INTERNATIONAL

US Government gives Taliban govt condition for support

Biden raises refugee admissions cap to 62,500 after backlash
US President Joe biden

The United States Government has said that it could support the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

It said this would be determined on how well the Taliban respected women and general human rights.

The Taliban assumed power after sacking the Asraf presidency and is now setting up its own administration.

US Department spokesman, Ned Price, said on Monday that the US would only recognise a Taliban government in Afghanistan if it respects the rights of women and shuns, denounces extremist movements such as Al-Qaeda.

“Ultimately when it comes to our posture towards any future government in Afghanistan, it will depend upon the actions of that government. It will depend upon the actions of the Taliban,” State Price told reporters when asked about recognition.

“A future Afghan government that upholds the basic rights of its people, that doesn’t harbor terrorists and that protects the basic rights of its people including the basic fundamental rights of half of its population – its women and girls — that is a government we would be able to work with,” AFP quoted Price as saying.