MONITORING (SW) – A top Qatari official has said holding dialogue with the Taliban does not require recognition of the group, as world powers hesitate to approach the militant group.
Speaking to Foreign Policy on, Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister Lolwah Al Khater said the Taliban knows that it requires international recognition and wants to present a change in governance style that that seen during its previous rule in the late 90’s.
She also said there is an urgent need for the international community to place a clear road map to formally specify the exact outcomes needed from the Taliban.
Commenting on the signing of the February agreement last year in Qatar between the US and the Taliban, Al Khater said an image of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seen standing next to the head of the militants’ political office and current Afghanistan Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, does not indicate Washington’s acceptance of the group’s actions, reported Doha News.
Al Khater also stressed the importance of providing Afghanistan with necessary aid to address the country’s growing humanitarian crisis, which has worsened after two decades of war and in light of the latest developments.
Director of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan Mary-Ellen McGroarty said on Wednesday that the crisis is growing at “an incredible pace” and it is now a matter of “race against time” before winter comes.
“We have a harsh winter in Afghanistan. With fuel prices going up, people are going to struggle to feed themselves and keep themselves warm,” she said.
More than 18 million people were already in need of humanitarian assistance even before the Taliban captured Kabul on 15 August. Two million children are now at risk of severe malnourishment.
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