Afghanistan: UN Security Council Meeting and Merkel’s Admission of ‘Loss of Control’

The UN Security Council called for an end to armed conflicts in Afghanistan during an emergency session. Merkel also revised news about accepting all German local staff members and said her country would strive to bring these colleagues to a safe location.

At an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council held on Monday, August 16 (Mordad 26), European countries and the United States expressed concerns about the deterioration and human rights violations, particularly the rights of Afghan women, and on the other hand, the escalation of terrorist activities.

The UN Security Council called for an immediate cessation of all armed encounters in Afghanistan. The international body stated in its statement that through negotiations, a united government should be formed that is inclusive and representative of all segments of the Afghan people.

The statement adds that human rights violations should not occur from now on, and all parties to the conflict must continuously and without obstruction provide access to humanitarian assistance.

Merkel: We Do Not Intend to Accept All Afghan Refugees on German Soil

The German Chancellor revised the news about accepting all German local staff members and said her country would strive to bring these colleagues to a safe location.

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, on the evening of Monday, August 16 (Mordad 26), revised expectations about the evacuation of all auxiliary forces and local staff members of German institutions in Afghanistan.

The German Chancellor told reporters: “Unfortunately, we no longer have complete control over the situation.” Whether the transfer of these local staff members would be completed “depends on the situation in Kabul.”

Merkel viewed the balance of the twenty-year military operations of international forces with a critical eye and said that the approximately twenty-year operation “was not as successful as we had planned.”

Merkel added: “This realization is very bitter for us.” She said allies should admit “that these efforts have not been successful,” particularly efforts related to creating democratic structures.

The German Chancellor, like statements made earlier by Heiko Maas, German Foreign Minister, admitted that the German government “misassessed” the course of events in Afghanistan, and this miscalculation was also shared by Western allies.

Angela Merkel said that we should have witnessed how the extremist Taliban “with lightning speed conquered province after province and city after city and brought the entire country under their control again.”

Angela Merkel clarified that the German government does not intend to accept a large number of refugees from Afghanistan in Germany: “Our main goal is to give a perspective for life to those who have directly helped us.”

Merkel added that others should see how they can “find a safe place for themselves in the region.” She said Germany will contact neighboring countries of Afghanistan as quickly as possible and will provide the necessary support to accept refugees in these countries.

According to the German Chancellor, on the other hand, the German government intends to try to negotiate with the Taliban to help people as much as possible. She referred to “a long list of names of people who have fought for freedom.”

Occupation of Airport Runway Prevented Aircraft Landing

So far, two German Air Force aircraft have been unable to land due to the occupation of Kabul airport runways. The first aircraft headed to Tashkent for refueling, and the second circled in Kabul airspace awaiting landing clearance.

Heiko Maas, German Foreign Minister, said in this regard that U.S. forces are attempting to remove crowds from the airport runway area. It is planned that American military aircraft will also evacuate German citizens from the country.

German aircraft, however, along with Afghan staff members of German institutions, will facilitate the evacuation of citizens of other countries, provided they can land at Kabul Airport.

According to the latest reports, one German Air Force aircraft has landed at Kabul Airport.

Macron: Accepting Afghan Freedom Fighters is Our Honor

The President of France announced that his country will accept members and activists of Afghan civil society.

Emmanuel Macron in a televised address said that currently “human rights defenders, artists, journalists” are in danger: “We welcome their arrival, because it is an honor for France to stand alongside people who have fought for freedom.”

Britain Calls for Virtual Meeting of G7 Leaders

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of Britain, announced that his office is planning a virtual meeting of the leaders of the seven industrialized nations regarding the situation in Afghanistan.

Johnson made this announcement after a conversation with Emmanuel Macron, President of France.

Dominic Raab, British Foreign Secretary, also said that his country will make sanctions against the Afghan government conditional on the behavior of these Islamists. He said the British government will examine how the Taliban government will treat refugees.

Source: DW