Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers detain two members of the UN political mission

UNITED NATIONS — The Taliban rulers of Afghanistan have detained two Afghan members of the UN political mission in the country, the UN reported on Wednesday.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq informed the UN press that the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence detained two officials on Sunday in the western city of Herat. He added that the UN mission has not been informed of the charges against the two men nor has it been able to visit them.

The mission has urged the Taliban to “ensure compliance with the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its officials,” stated Haq.

The Taliban took power on August 15, 2021, when U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from the country after two decades of war.

Shortly after, they banned girls’ access to secondary schools and, subsequently, extended the restrictions to higher education, employment, and other sectors, effectively excluding women and girls from public life.

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The UN mission mandate, granted by the United Nations Security Council, includes promoting and supporting humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, promoting human rights, equality for women and girls, inclusive governance, and economic stability.

The two men were detained at a time when the humanitarian crisis in the impoverished Asian nation is worsening and Taliban forces are clashing with Pakistani forces in cross-border fighting. The clashes intensified dramatically in February, when Afghan forces launched a raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Subsequently, Islamabad declared it was in “open war”.