The United Nations Security Council has renewed the Monitoring Team's mandate for another year. The Team supports the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee, keeping in place restrictions that target individuals and entities linked to the Taliban.
All 15 members of the Security Council voted in favour of the resolution.
However, Afghanistan’s authorities have criticised the move.
Government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said extending sanctions is “a failed approach” and argued there was no need to “repeat such experiences”, calling on Western countries to reconsider their policies and engage in “constructive cooperation and interaction” with Afghanistan.
The UK mission to the United Nations said the vote sent a message to Kabul.
“Today the UN Security Council unanimously renewed the 1988 sanctions regime against the Taliban. The Taliban must take meaningful steps to adhere to their international obligations, including on counter terrorism and protecting the rights of women and girls,” it said on X.
Meanwhile, Russia, while backing the renewal, warned against expanding the monitoring team’s focus. In an explanation of vote, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva said, “At the same time, it is noteworthy that the text of the resolution is strikingly oversaturated with elements that are not directly related to the implementation of the 1988 Security Council sanctions regime.”
China said Afghan territory must not be used to support terrorism or threaten other countries, and urged the Afghan authorities to eliminate “terrorist forces” operating on their soil. It stressed the importance of counter-terrorism efforts and called for continued attention to security concerns in Afghanistan as the sanctions monitoring mandate was extended.
The 1988 list includes senior Afghan officials, among them Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The sanctions can restrict international travel and freeze any overseas assets under member states’ jurisdiction, while also limiting arms-related support - measures the Council says target individuals and entities deemed to threaten the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Georgia has secured two major financial commitments this week, with one aimed at easing road congestion around the capital and the other at strengthen...
A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the sa...
Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, and an oil refinery overnight, while Moscow said its forces struck a ship carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retaliation for recent U.S. strikes.
Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting local authorities to call for a national emergency and military deployment.
UNESCO has granted World Heritage status to 10 landmarks of Tashkent's modernist architecture, recognising the buildings that helped redefine Uzbekistan's capital after the devastating 1966 earthquake.
Apple Pay has launched in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, expanding digital payment services across Central Asia and supporting the region's shift towards cashless transactions.
Georgia has secured two major financial commitments this week, with one aimed at easing road congestion around the capital and the other at strengthening the country's banking safety net.
A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region. No information has been released on casualties or the extent of the damage.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf has promised that the U.S. will “pay the price” following what Iranian authorities said was a deadly strike on a residential building on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf that killed three members of a family.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment