Afghanistan: new demonstration of Afghan women in Kabul | Taliban continue to negotiate to form a government

Afghan women took to the streets to demonstrate for the second day in a row, this time in the capital Kabul. The demonstrators called on the new Taliban regime to guarantee their rights and the participation of women in the formation of a new government in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a group of presidents and leaders of European countries called on the Taliban insurgents to respect the rights of women and girls. While the cabinet announcement by the Taliban waits, so far, among the tentative names for government posts, there are no women.

Women in Kabul

“Education, work, freedom”, were the main demands of the dozens of demonstrators grouped together in the Women’s political participation network who demonstrated in front of the finance ministry in Kabul to demand their participation in the new government. Samira Khairkhwa is one of the organizers of the event in which, as she explained, women from all spheres of Afghan society participated, and who claim meaningful participation in Afghan public life.

“Women must be included in the new Taliban cabinet (…) The Taliban must remain committed to their promises that women will enjoy all their rights in the future government. The international community must not forget us and must listen to our voice and work to defend our rights “, noted the activist.

“Women’s rights, equality with men”, was another slogan of the demonstrators who mobilized with banners to demand their rights. “A heroic Cabinet with the presence of women” O “Political participation”, “Women, the basic law”, are some of the messages they wrote on the posters.

The Taliban, who after taking Kabul spoke of respecting the right of Afghan women to study and work, and who also said they would form an inclusive government so far, have not allowed the participation of women at meetings to define the cabinet. Insurgent leaders have asked to wait until they hear about the new directives. They even claimed that officials will be paid at home to prevent them from going to work.

“All Afghans, including women, will enjoy their rights in the future government, but the level of participation of women in politics is something that will be decided and clarified once the new government is formed.”Taliban spokesman said Bilal Karimi.

European Presidents

From Europe, a group of led political leaders for the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova and the Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdottir called on the Taliban movement to respect the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The declaration was also signed through Presidents of Greece, Georgia, Estonia and Moldova, as well as Prime Ministers of Denmark, Finland, Norway, New Zealand and Lithuania. The leaders urge the new Afghan authorities to respect the rights and opportunities of the female population, ensuring them a level playing field with men. The number two in the Taliban office in Doha, Inayatulhaq Yasini, spoke to British broadcaster BBC and said the women “They have the right to be” in the cabinet they form, although he also admitted that it “could” not be made up of women. “Especially in the main positions“, he remarked.

Panshjir

The announcement of the composition of the new Afghan government awaits as negotiations between the Taliban continue. An insurgent spokesman said no new information on the cabinet’s formation would arrive at least until Saturday, AFP news agency reported.

In the Panjshir valley, where the anti-Taliban resistance is concentrated, Afghan rebels announce heavy fighting against insurgents, insured Ali Maisam Nazary, a spokesperson for the National Resistance Front (FNR), made up of anti-Taliban militias and former members of the Afghan security forces. The FNR said it had inflicted significant losses on the Taliban, without specifying the number of dead.

During the week, the Italian NGO Urgence reported having received in its Kabul hospital “five patients injured and four died in the fighting in Gulbahar”, located at the entrance to the Panjshir valley, difficult to access in due to its location in the middle of the Hindu Kush mountains. The southern tip of the Asian mountain range is about 80 km north of the Afghan capital.

For its part, a Taliban spokesperson reported that they had defeated the resistance in its last stronghold. “The Panjshir fell under the control of the Islamic Emirate (as the Taliban call themselves)”Karimi wrote on her Twitter account, the information was confirmed by the Sputnik news agency of the police headquarters in the capital.

The Taliban and the world

The United States has announced that the channels of communication with the Taliban will remain open for important matters.Foreign Minister Antony Blinken has assured him that he will visit Qatar next week.

Meanwhile, he UK has said it will not recognize the new government of the Taliban. “We see the importance of being able to participate and having a direct line of communication”Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said during his visit to Islamabad. The Foreign Minister admitted that the evacuation would not have been possible without some degree of cooperation from the insurgents. While the Russian president, Vladimir Putin has said he hopes the Taliban will behave in a civilized manner in Afghanistan to restore normal diplomatic relations with Kabul.

“The sooner the Taliban enter the family of civilized peoples, the easier it will be to maintain contact, to communicate” with them and thus “to influence in one way or another, to ask questions”, said the Russian leader. “Russia has no interest in the disintegration of Afghanistan,” he added.

The The European Union has imposed a series of conditions to negotiate with the regime Taliban: do not become a refuge for terrorists; respect for human rights, in particular those of women; the formation of an inclusive government, respect for press freedom and guarantee of access to humanitarian aid.

“We know full well that the Taliban are facing a shortage of cash, not only to pay salaries, but to pay for everything.”EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell said after the meeting held yesterday and today in Slovenia by EU foreign ministers.“The new Afghan government will have to deal with this and we are ready to help with conditions.”Borrell explained.

While the Taliban regime’s political bureau in Doha announced that China to maintain embassy in Afghanistan and that it will provide humanitarian support to the country. Insurgent movement spokesman Suhail Shaheen reported that Abdul Salam Hanafi, a senior Taliban official, “I had a telephone conversation with Wu Jianghao, vice-chancellor of the People’s Republic of China”.

“The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister said he would keep his embassy in Kabul, adding that our relations would be strengthened compared to the past. Afghanistan can play an important role in the security and development of the region,” he said on social media.