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Time for both sides to stop fighting and make a deal, say foreign stakeholders

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US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and UNAMA both issued a communique on Saturday calling on both sides to the conflict to stop the fighting and start making progress at the peace talks tables.

The communique comes after a meeting on Thursday in Rome between the EU, NATO, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, and the US, where they discussed the situation in Afghanistan and the developments in peace negotiations after last week’s high-level talks in Doha.

The communique stated the group of countries and organizations are committed to a strong partnership with Afghanistan and will be closely monitoring ongoing developments during the new phase of transition as foreign troops withdraw.

They said they “are deeply concerned about the high levels of violence, the Taliban’s military offensive, and the number of reported serious human rights abuses and violations alleged in communities most affected by the ongoing armed conflict across the country”.

“We call on all parties to reduce violence and protect civilians, respecting their obligations under international humanitarian law.

“We call on the Taliban to end their military offensive, and on both the Islamic Republic and the Taliban to engage meaningfully in the peace process.

“We reiterate the urgency of reaching a ceasefire to ensure the success of negotiations, and we acknowledge the sacrifices of the Afghan security forces,” the communique read.

The group also stated that they reaffirm there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that it will not support any government in Afghanistan imposed through military force.

In addition they said that five elements of a final political settlement are critical to continued support. These are: 1) inclusive governance; 2) the right to elect political leaders; 3) protections for human rights, including rights of women, youth and minorities; 4) commitments on counter-terrorism, including to ensure that Afghanistan does not again serve as a safe haven for terrorists; and 5) adherence to international law, including international humanitarian law.
“We emphasize that international support to any future government will depend, at least in part, on adherence to these five elements,” the communique read.

“We also reiterate that future assistance to Afghanistan is dependent on good governance and a commitment to the rule of law and human rights, including preservation of the gains made by women and girls over the past two decades, as well as the government taking meaningful steps to tackle corruption and to meeting commitments made at the November 2020 Geneva Conference.”

The group also welcomed the talks held in Doha last week between senior leaders of the Afghan Republic and the Taliban and stated: “We further welcome the declared commitment of the two sides to accelerate negotiations toward an inclusive political settlement and to meet again in the near future. We believe future meetings should focus on core issues that will be fundamental to reaching an inclusive political settlement.”

They stated however that they are aware that reaching a final political settlement, including on the Constitution, will likely take time but urged both sides to agree to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, to foundational principles for the future Afghan State, and on details of transitional governing arrangements.

The group also called on both parties to negotiate in good faith in order to reach a just and durable political settlement.

The group also commended Qatar for bringing the parties together and for its overall contribution to the peace process.

In addition, the group said they encourage Afghanistan’s neighbors to intensify their support to the Afghan people and to contribute to a lasting peace settlement and economic development in the interests of all.

“We also call upon all parties to ensure the safety of foreign embassies and other diplomatic missions, multilateral agencies, media representatives, airports and non-governmental organizations and their Afghan and international staff.”

We particularly appreciate Turkey’s readiness and commitment to assist with airport security as needed.

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Muttaqi: IEA won’t fight against one country to satisfy another

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Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that the Islamic Emirate has a balanced foreign policy and it will not fight for the happiness of one country against another.
 
Addressing Afghan diaspora in Oman, Muttaqi emphasized that the Islamic Emirate ensures security across the country in such a way that foreign meddling will be prevented.
 
“We have a balanced policy. Balanced policy means that for the happiness of one country, we do not fight with another. For the happiness of one country, we do not oppose the other. We want normal relations with all,” he said.
 
Muttaqi also rejected division within the IEA.
 
“The existence of differences, chaos and insecurity is not true. No matter how much propaganda is done, in practice you can see that no incidents happen in Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar, Jalalabad and Herat,” he said.
 
Muttaqi said that during his visit to Oman, he has sought to expand bilateral trade.
 
He also emphasized that after the return of Islamic Emirate, a serious fight against drugs has taken place in Afghanistan and they have managed to treat 400,000 drug addicts.
 
 
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Tornadoes strike US South, killing 33 people amid rising risk

In Arkansas, three deaths occurred, the state’s Department of Emergency Management said, adding that there were 32 injuries.

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Tornadoes killed at least 33 people across several states in the U.S. Midwest and Southeast on Saturday night, with at least 12 fatalities reported in Missouri, CNN reported.

More than 500 homes, a church and grocery store in Butler County were destroyed and a mobile home park had been “totally destroyed,” Robbie Myers, the director of emergency management for Missouri’s Butler County said.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves posted on X that six deaths had been reported in the state.

According to preliminary assessments, 29 people were injured statewide and 21 counties sustained storm damage, Reeves said.

In Arkansas, three deaths occurred, the state’s Department of Emergency Management said, adding that there were 32 injuries.

Twenty-six tornadoes were reported but not confirmed to have touched down late on Friday night and early on Saturday as a low-pressure system drove powerful thunderstorms across parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri, said David Roth, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

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UN Security Council to vote on extension of UNAMA mission in Afghanistan

The council said in a report that if approved, the mandate would extend the UNAMA mission for another year without changing its mandate and priorities.

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The UN Security Council announced it is scheduled to vote on Monday 17 March on a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, for another year.

The council said in a report that if approved, the mandate would extend the UNAMA mission for another year without changing its mandate and priorities.

According to the report, the draft mandate specified for UNAMA, for another year, include human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, women, peace and security, the economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, terrorism, drug trafficking, small arms, internally displaced persons and refugees, and the effects of natural disasters.

The UN Security Council said that all 15 permanent and non-permanent members of the council are expected to support it.

This comes after the Islamic Emirate recently called the UNAMA mission in Afghanistan a “failure.”

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, accused UNAMA of providing “negative and inaccurate” reports on the situation in Afghanistan.

Mujahid said that UNAMA’s reports had created a “negative mindset” towards Afghanistan within the UN.

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