KABUL (SW) – A number of citizens demonstrated in Kabul today in response to the US freeze on Afghanistan’s state reserves.
The protesters said the freezing of Afghanistan’s reserves has caused a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
According to the protesters, this money belongs to the citizens of Afghanistan while the United States has seized the country’s foreign exchange reserves against the law. The protesters demanded the unconditional release of the money by the United States.
“Our demonstration today is against the US and other countries blocking Afghanistan’s money,” said Shafiullah, one of the protesters and the organizer of the event. “We want the United States to release Afghanistan’s money to save the people from economic hardship.”
“Countries in the region must also call on the world to free its economic resources and national wealth as soon as possible,” said Elias, another protester.
Nazar Mohammad, another protester, called the freezing of Afghanistan’s monetary resources a persecution of the Afghan people and said that the continuation of sanctions would only hurt the poor people of Afghanistan. “The purpose of our demonstration is to demand releasing of our money,” he said. “Let us not be oppressed anymore, and let our right be granted.”
With the rise to power of the Islamic Emirate, nearly $ 10 billion of Afghanistan’s assets were seized by the United States, and it is not yet clear when this money will be available to the Afghan government.
Although officials from the Islamic Emirate have repeatedly called for the release of these funds, but their request has been rejected by US officials. In the most recent case, the United States is reportedly considering issuing more financial facility permits for Afghanistan.
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