UN says Taliban reject intra-Afghan dialogue for inclusive government

By Betul Yuruk

UNITED NATIONS (AA) - The UN's special representative in Afghanistan said Tuesday that the Taliban reject the need for any sort of intra-Afghan dialogue to form an inclusive government.

Roza Otunbayeva told the UN Security Council that the country’s de facto authority considers their government ''sufficiently representative.''

The international community has demanded that the Taliban form an "inclusive" government in which women and minorities are represented in return for recognition.

Otunbayeva also expressed concern over the recent activities of ISIS/Daesh-Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K or ISIL-KP in Afghanistan.

''The Taliban remain essentially in control of the country but unable to satisfactorily address terrorist groups operating inside Afghanistan'' she said.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths in his briefing to the Security Council painted a bleak picture of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

He said that 97% of Afghans live in poverty and 20 million people face acute hunger.

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021 followed by the disruption of international financial assistance has left the worn-torn country in economic, humanitarian and human rights crises.

The US and other Western nations suspended financial assistance to Afghanistan after the seizure of power by the Taliban.

The Biden administration froze Afghan central bank foreign reserves worth $7 billion as part of its sanctions on the Taliban.

UN human rights experts have called for the US to end its freeze on Afghanistan’s foreign assets.