Selasa, 05 Oktober 2021

Afghanistan: Former British soldier who was arrested by Taliban as it seized control in country flown out of country - Sky News

A former British soldier who was arrested by the Taliban has been flown out of Afghanistan with a visiting UK delegation, Sky News understands.

Ben Slater, who ran his business Nomad Concepts Group from the Afghan capital, was detained by the Taliban last month while trying to help hundreds of Afghans to leave the country.

However, he was allowed to fly out of Kabul to the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday on a special flight that was arranged by the Qatari government to transport two senior British diplomats in and out of the country, according to a UK government source.

Ben Slater doing some last minute administrative work for Home Office near border
Image: Ben Slater had claimed the Foreign Office failed to approve visas for the evacuation of himself and his staff from Kabul airport

The precise details of how his exit was arranged were not immediately clear.

Sir Simon Gass, the Prime Minister's High Representative for Afghan Transition, and Dr Martin Longden, Chargé d'Affaires of the UK Mission to Afghanistan, based in Doha, formed the first UK delegation to Afghanistan to meet with the Taliban since the collapse of the previous UK-backed Afghan government and withdrawal of British and other NATO forces.

The diplomats spoke with Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and Deputy Prime Ministers Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund and Mawlawi Abdul-Salam Hanafi.

They "discussed how the UK could help Afghanistan to address the humanitarian crisis, the importance of preventing the country from becoming an incubator for terrorism, and the need for continued safe passage for those who want to leave the country", a UK government spokesperson said.

More on Afghanistan

"They also raised the treatment of minorities and the rights of women and girls," the spokesperson said.

Sir Simon Gass, the Prime Minister's High Representative for Afghan Transition meets Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi
Image: Sir Simon Gass, the Prime Minister's High Representative for Afghan Transition meets Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi

A statement on Twitter which appeared to be from a Taliban foreign affairs spokesman said: "The meeting focused on detailed discussions about reviving diplomatic relations between both countries, assurance of security by IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) for all citizens entering legally, and humanitarian assistance by UK for the Afghans."

Abdul Qahar Balkhi claimed the UK delegation had said Boris Johnson was "seeking to build relations with IEA while taking into account prevailing circumstances" while the Afghan side said the UK "must take positive steps regarding relations and co-operation, and begin a new chapter of constructive relations".

Sir Simon Gass, the Prime Minister's High Representative for Afghan Transition meets Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi
Image: The UK diplomats 'raised the treatment of minorities and the rights of women and girls'

He added: "We expect others to also not work towards weakening our government."

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the western-backed government fell in August.

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2021-10-05 13:52:30Z
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