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  • Afghanistan Evacuation

    Afghanistan Evacuation

    Joint Statement on Afghanistan Evacuation Travel Assurances
    MEDIA NOTE
    OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON

    AUGUST 29, 2021

    The text of the following statement was released initially by the Governments of the United States of America, Albania, Australia, Belgium, Belize, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Canada, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Korea, Republic of Kosovo, Romania, Rwanda, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland , The Bahamas, The Gambia, The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Union of the Comoros, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia with regard to Afghanistan evacuation travel assurances.

    Begin Text:

    We are all committed to ensuring that our citizens, nationals and residents, employees, Afghans who have worked with us and those who are at risk can continue to travel freely to destinations outside Afghanistan.  We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorization from our countries will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country.  We will continue issuing travel documentation to designated Afghans, and we have the clear expectation of and commitment from the Taliban that they can travel to our respective countries.  We note the public statements of the Taliban confirming this understanding.

    End text.

  • Afghan election sees big drop in voter numbers — estimate

    Afghan election sees big drop in voter numbers — estimate

    By Associated Press • last updated: 29/09/2019 – 15:45
    Afghan presidential election ballot boxes are taken to mountainous regions

    Afghan presidential election ballot boxes are taken to mountainous regions –

    Afghanistan’s presidential election turnout is unofficially estimated at just over two million people — or about 20 percent of registered voters — an official said on Sunday, amid fears that the Taliban threat of violence kept many from polling stations.

    Roughly seven million turned out to vote in the last presidential election, in 2014.

    Tight security ensured Saturday’s election took place in relative calm, but low turnout and complaints about the voting system heightened concerns that an unclear result could drive the war-torn country into further chaos.

    “Turnout appears to have been dampened not just by Taliban threats, but also voter disinterest,” wrote Thomas Ruttig and Jelena Bjelica of the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

    Taliban fighters attacked several polling stations across the country to try to derail the process, but intense security prevented large-scale violence.

    There were more than 400 attacks, mostly small-scale, carried out by the militants, according to the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

    There were also technical shortcomings, they wrote, including biometric devices not working, missing voter names and election material sent to the wrong province.

    REUTERS
    Nine million Afghans are voting in the electionREUTERS

    Many Afghans, however, did brave the threat of militant attacks to vote in an election seen as a major test of the Western-backed government’s ability to protect democracy against Taliban attempts to derail it.

    As many as eight election staff were kidnapped Saturday evening by the Taliban in central Parwan province’s Shinwari district, the provincial governor’s spokeswoman said.

    “The local government and tribal elders are working to release them,” she said on Sunday.

    Two policeman and one civilian were killed in mostly small-scale Taliban attacks, and 37 people were injured, the interior ministry said.

    REUTERS
    A ballot box is taken through the Afghan mountainsREUTERS

    Of 9.67 million registered voters, only about one in five cast their ballot, according to the election commission official who requested anonymity as they were not authorised to release a turnout figure.

    Previous elections were marred by dozens of deaths, accusations of fraud and allegations that the election commission was not independent. Memories of those issues hung over Saturday’s vote.

    The days after voting are also fraught. The Taliban often attack those transporting ballot boxes from local voting centres to larger regional offices for counting. From there, the boxes make their way to the capital Kabul.

    Preliminary results are not expected before Oct. 19 and final results not until Nov. 7.

    If no candidate gets over half of the votes, a second round will be held between the two leading candidates.

    Video editor • Michael Daventry