DOHA, QATAR: The Taliban’s absence from a UN-convened session on Afghanistan in Doha this week stemmed from disagreements regarding their participation format.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s special envoy for Afghanistan Hassan Kazemi Qomi disclosed this development to the Tehran Times.
Hassan Kazemi Qomi clarified that the Taliban had been invited to engage in discussions with UN officials in Doha following the primary summit. However, they were not asked to partake directly in the summit itself.
Additionally, plans were in place for Afghanistan’s de facto rulers to meet with human rights activists to address concerns, but the Taliban declined, expressing a desire to both meet activists and participate in the summit, which wasn’t feasible. Hence, they opted not to send a delegation to Qatar.
On February 18-19, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres led a meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, focusing on the humanitarian crisis in the country.
During a press briefing, Guterres mentioned that the Taliban had laid out unacceptable conditions for their attendance. “I received a letter [from the Taliban] with a set of conditions to be present in this meeting that were not acceptable,” he stated.
Following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 after two decades of occupation, the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan.
However, they have yet to gain recognition as the official government from any country.
