UN denounces extrajudicial executions in Afghanistan
Since the Taliban seized power in Kabul last August, the situation of Afghan citizens has only deteriorated. The humanitarian and financial crisis that already plagued the country before the fall of Ashraf Ghani's government has worsened in recent months due to the tightening of economic sanctions. Thus, although the new regime has tried to project a completely renewed international image compared to its 1996 government, human rights violations by the Taliban appear to have remained unchanged.
Thus, through statements made by Nada al-Nashif, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) on Tuesday, the international body has accused the Afghan regime not only of violating human rights and many of the commitments it made when it came to power, but also of carrying out extrajudicial executions.
The High Commissioner acknowledged that she was "alarmed by persistent reports of extrajudicial killings throughout the country, despite the general amnesty announced by the Taliban after 15 August". Al-Nashif further stated that "between August and November we received credible reports of more than 100 executions of former Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) members and others associated with the former government, of which at least 72 were attributed to the Taliban". "In several cases, the bodies were exposed in public, which increased fear among a significant part of the population," he added.
For their part, members of the Taliban regime have denied these accusations, calling them "unjust". Interior Ministry spokesman and Taliban member Qari Sayed Khosti said that while "there were cases of deaths among the former security forces" (ANSF), the causes were "enmities or personal problems".
In her statements, Nada al-Nashif also made several references to the "deep humanitarian crisis" facing the Afghan people. In addition to the violations of their rights and freedoms, and the continuous attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) - a jihadist group that rivals the Taliban regime installed in August - the Afghan population is also facing the ravages of a drought that affects more than 80% of the territory, and economic sanctions that continue unabated.
"More and more Afghans are struggling to meet their basic needs," Al-Nashif warned, and "people in vulnerable situations, mainly women, are driven to desperate measures such as child labour, marrying off children to ensure their survival and, according to some reports, even selling children.
"Afghanistan is facing a situation of hunger and misery the likes of which I have never seen in the more than 20 years I have worked for WFP," said Mary Ellen McGroarty, Country Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan. During the month of December alone, the organisation helped 7 million Afghan citizens, 3 million more than in September. And going forward, the World Food Programme has announced its intention to accelerate operations to assist more than 23 million people.
In this situation, the strategy that the international community decides to adopt towards the Taliban regime will be of key importance. Although several countries - such as the US and its Western allies - have expressed great concern over the "summary executions", as well as their condemnation of human rights violations, the fact is that their humanitarian aid is essential to assist the Afghan population.
The dilemma now facing all powers - mainly Western ones - is how to provide humanitarian aid to civilians without providing resources and legitimacy to the Taliban regime. Washington has already declared its readiness to support humanitarian initiatives in the region, while the European Union pledged 1 billion euros during the G20 summit to assist the Afghan population most in need. However, as far as the lifting of sanctions and the unfreezing of Afghanistan's Central Bank funds (imposed by the US) are concerned, there still seems to be no proposed solution on the horizon.