“The Department and its Foreign Service Posts in the region and beyond are exploring all avenues of cooperation and are closely coordinating with governments and international partners to guarantee their immediate and safe passage,” DFA states in their Advisory post on social media on August 16.
This was after the fall of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to the Taliban to which the situation continuously escalates after the United States withdrew its troops.
DFA has issued an “Alert Level 4 for the whole of Afghanistan due to the uncertain security situation in the country.”
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS ARE GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE UNFOLDING SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations Security Council, pleads to the international community to stand united against terrorism and ensure human rights will be protected and honored.
“I appeal to the Security Council, and the international community as a whole, to stand together, to work together and act together. And use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan and to guarantee that basic human rights will be respected,” he said earlier today in the UN Security Council emergency meeting.
Global leaders as well devastated after two decades of fighting for the freedom and rights of Afghan women and children.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on August 16 that he stands by his decision of pulling back their troops from Afghanistan after a dispute of 20 years.
HISTORY OF THE TALIBANS’ RULING OF AFGHANISTAN
The Taliban ruled the country of Afghanistan from 1996 until the US invaded the country in 2001 and ousted the insurgents. The intention was to protect the rights of both women and children as well as the network of Islamic Extremists, led by the infamous Osama bin Laden, responsible for the 9/11 attack. This political move was supported by other countries like Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany, and France.
“Women are imprisoned in their homes and are denied access to basic health care and education. Food sent to help starving people is stolen by their leaders. The religious monuments of other faiths are destroyed. Children are forbidden to fly kites, or sing songs. A girl of seven is beaten for wearing white shoes,” said former President George Bush on November 6, 2001.
Bombing, airstrikes, and ground combat between the Taliban and its opponents were the first phase of the US war in Afghanistan leading to the Taliban regime’s swift collapse.
This ended the oppression of the Taliban against women and children and opened multiple doors of opportunity for them.
According to the U.S. Department of State, their provided support as “Only Afghans can determine the future government of their country. And Afghan women should have the right to choose their role in that future.”
For the past twenty years, they have reconstructed and aimed to recover from the harsh ruling of the extremists with the help of western countries to strengthen and rebuild their nation.
The election in September 2005 was noted to be the ‘most democratic elections ever in Afghanistan’ where almost half of the casting ballots were women.
In November 2020, thousands of US troops were sent home as a fulfillment of the agreement signed in February 2020 by the US and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar in regards to the significant reduction of US military troops in Afghanistan while the Taliban gave assurance ‘that the country will not be used for terrorist activities.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization warned the early pullout of troops could lead to Afghanistan becoming a “haven for terrorists”.
Earlier this year, US President Joe Biden announced that “It’s time to end America’s longest war”, and moved to withdraw the remaining 3,500 troops but will continue to assist ‘Afghan security forces and support the peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
With the rapid takeover of the Taliban after foreign troops left the country, they finally secured the city of Kabul on Sunday, August 15. President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country as chaos continuously ran rampant throughout the country.
The return of the Taliban forces has caused fear and panic to spread especially to the 19.4 million Afghan women.