UAE welcomes Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on humanitarian grounds

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Abu Dhabi - Ghani left Afghanistan on Sunday as the Taliban closed in on Kabul, before the fighters insurgents walked into the Afghan capital unopposed.

By Agencies

Published: Thu 19 Aug 2021, 2:22 AM

The UAE said on Wednesday that it is hosting former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani “on humanitarian grounds”, after he fled his country amid a Taliban takeover.

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“The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds,” the ministry said in a brief statement.

Ghani left Afghanistan on Sunday as the Taliban closed in on Kabul, before the fighters insurgents walked into the Afghan capital unopposed.

In a video message on Wednesday — his first appearance since leaving Kabul, Ghani said he hopes to return home, and said he supported talks between the Taliban and top former officials.

“For now, I am in the Emirates so that bloodshed and chaos is stopped,” he said, noting that he had “no intention” to remain in exile.

“I am currently in talks to return to Afghanistan.”

Ghani added that he supports talks between the Taliban and former president Hamid Karzai, which happened on Wednesday.

Taliban leaders have said they have “pardoned all former government officials”, according to the monitoring group SITE.