UN chief urges Taliban to halt offensive in Afghanistan

by Caroline Vakil - 08/13/21 5:38 PM ET

Taliban fighters are seen in a vehicle along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before — Getty Images

The U.N. secretary-general said on Friday that Afghanistan is “spinning out of control” and urged the Taliban, which is capturing huge swaths of territory, to halt its offensive so they could “negotiate in good faith.”

“The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan,” António Guterres said.

“I call on the Taliban to immediately halt the offensive and to negotiate in good faith in the interest of Afghanistan and its people,” he continued.

Guterres said he is “deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.”

“It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them,” he said.

He also mentioned that at least 241,000 people have had to flee as a result of the Taliban’s attacks while the country begins to see a reduction of critical supplies. He noted that schools, clinics and roads were being devastated.

“Even [for] a country that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is in the throes of yet another chaotic and desperate chapter — an incredible tragedy for its long-suffering people,” Guterres said.

The Taliban have made rapid advances amid the U.S. withdrawal ordered by President Biden, capturing several major cities, including Afghanistan’s second- and third-largest, Kandahar and Herat. The Taliban now control 17 of the 34 provincial capitals in the country, according to The Associated Press.

The State Department announced Thursday that it would be deploying military personnel temporarily to the international airport in Kabul to help draw down its embassy staff. About 3,000 troops were being sent to the airport and U.S. Embassy by the Department of Defense.