KABUL — Taliban have called on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to strengthen their engagement with the UN and the international community, following the mission’s one-year extension by the UN Security Council.
“We urge UNAMA to work toward strengthening relations between Afghanistan (the Taliban), the United Nations, and other countries, and to accurately reflect Afghanistan’s security, economic, and social progress,” Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on X on Tuesday.
He also called for the lifting of international sanctions imposed on the Taliban-led administration, arguing that they are “unjustified”.
Mujahid further urged UNAMA to advocate for the Taliban to take Afghanistan’s permanent seat at the United Nations—a position still held by the representative of the former Afghan government. He also called on the mission to push for the release of Afghanistan’s frozen assets held in U.S. and Western banks.
Additionally, Mujahid warned UNAMA against becoming an instrument of “biased groups” and accused the mission of spreading “propaganda” against the Taliban by focusing on select issues.
The UN Security Council on Monday (March 18) unanimously voted to extend UNAMA’s mandate for another year, reaffirming the mission’s role in monitoring humanitarian conditions, governance, and human rights in Afghanistan.
All 15 members of the council backed the extension, despite continued concerns over the Taliban’s human rights record, particularly regarding women’s rights and restrictions on media and civil society.
