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EU calls for reconciliation council issues to be resolved urgently

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(Last Updated On: November 27, 2020)

The EU in Kabul on Thursday night called for the swift “establishment and operationalisation of the High Council for National Reconciliation” and also expressed concern about the ongoing high level of violence in Afghanistan.

In a statement issued on Twitter, the EU Delegation and EU Heads of Mission in Kabul stated: “We express deep concern about the continuing high level of violence and the security situation in Afghanistan, especially the number of civilian casualties and call for an immediate permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and full respect of International Humanitarian Law.”

The EU also reaffirmed its strong support “to a balanced Afghan Peace Process.”

“Reaching a sustainable outcome respecting the rights and aspirations of the Afghan people will be best served by a strong political unity on the side of the Republic and the inclusion of all Afghan voices in the process,” read their statement.

They said: “In that context, we encourage the swift establishment and operationalization of the High Council of National Reconciliation as the body designated to provide guidance to the negotiations.

“In addition to political leaders, the membership of the Council should include a diverse membership representing women’s groups, war victims, religious minorities, youth and civil society organizations.”

The lack of operational progress around the high council has drawn sharp criticism in the past few weeks – especially as no progress has been made about formalizing the peace body.

Although Abdullah Abdullah is the head of the council, President Ashraf Gahni appointed 46 members to the body in August – a move that was objected to by not only Abdullah but also a number of politicians whose names were on the list.

The council is intended to oversee the Afghan peace negotiating team and to make necessary decisions based on the team’s reports. It’s function is also to build regional and foreign support for the intra-Afghan negotiations.

However Abdullah has also been criticized over the issue and critics have stated that instead of resolving the lack of progress around its structure and operations, Abdullah has instead chosen to focus on foreign trips.

In the past six weeks Abdullah has visited Iran, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Turkey in a bid to build regional consensus on the Afghan peace process.

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Kabul police summons Afghan YouTuber Hamayon

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

Afghanistan’s YouTuber Hamayon Afghan was summoned to the police station for publishing a woman’s interview without her permission, Kabul police said.

The spokesman of Kabul Police Khalid Zadran said Friday on X that Hamayon interviewed an old woman and published the report without her permission.

“After the interview, the interviewee’s family complained to the police and the police summoned Hamayon Afghan to the police station,” said Zadran.

Zadran stated that police are working to solve the problem with the two sides’ agreement as soon as possible.

He urges people to avoid posting rumors on the issue.

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Contract worth $53 million signed for construction of last section of Khaf–Herat railway

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

A contract worth $53 million was signed Thursday for the construction of the last section of Khaf-Herat railway that connects Afghanistan with Iran.

The contract was signed between Afghanistan Railway Authority and Gamma Group in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, his office said in a statement.

The segment is 47-kilometer long, stretching from Rabat Parian to Herat International Airport and the Industrial Town, according to the statement.

It added that completion and standard operational readiness are expected within approximately two years.

“Upon its completion, this segment will integrate the Khaf-Herat regional connectivity project with Iran’s significant seaports and facilitate access to Europe via the Turkish railway network,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, traversing Afghan territory, it will bolster commercial exchanges between Central and South Asia. Notably, this project’s realization will enable the expansion of railway networks into Farah, Nimruz, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces,” it added.

Gamma operates across Europe and Asia in multiple sectors including construction, renewable energy, power transmission, mining, railways among others.

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US urges IEA to fulfill counter-terrorism commitments

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(Last Updated On: March 29, 2024)

The US State Department said on Thursday that Washington is committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be a launching pad for terrorism.

“We remain committed to ensuring that Afghanistan can never again be a launching pad for terrorism, and we continue to push the Taliban (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) to fulfill all of their counterterrorism commitments to the international community,” the department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing in Washington.

He reiterated that the United States had clearly communicated to the IEA that it’s their responsibility to ensure that “they give no safe haven to terrorists, whether it be Al Qaeda or ISIS-K or any other terrorist organization”.

Miller also reassured US allies that Washington was closely watching the developments in Afghanistan and was ready to deal with any threat emerging from the region.

“We remain vigilant against the evolving threat of these terrorist groups, and our global coalition to defeat ISIS and the C5+1 help intensify our efforts to monitor terrorist threats from the region and prevent their ability to raise funds, travel, and spread propaganda,” he said.

C5+1 refers to a diplomatic platform involving the five Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgy­zstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the United States. It serves as a forum for discussing and addressing regional issues such as security, economic development, and cooperation.

“The United States remains vigilant against the evolving threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIS-K, and has maintained an unwavering focus on terrorism since President Joe Biden took office three years ago,” Miller said.

The US, he said, was “working both unilaterally and with its partners to successfully disrupt threats across the globe and degrade ISIS”.

“We will continue to work to hold ISIS accountable for its actions and to prevent terrorist attacks against the United States and other Western countries,” Miller said.

This comes as IEA has repeatedly said that it is committed to not allowing anyone to use Afghanistan soil against any other country.

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