Daily Evacuation Brief | June 15, 2022

Jun 15, 2022

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Afghan mothers who are raising their children to be brave and kind despite enormous hardship, the mothers who want more for their daughters, & the mothers who amaze the world with their resilience every day. Wishing you and your family health and blessings today and every day.

`LAST 24 HOURS`

Fighting has been reported in Balkhab, a district of Sar-e-Pol, after Taliban troops launched operations to arrest Mullah Mahdi Mujahid, the former Taliban commander and Hazara leader who recently took over Balkhab. Rumors have been circulating that some Uzbek Taliban commanders have refused to join the Taliban’s operation, despite remaining loyal and committed to the Taliban. Another unsubstantiated report claims that rebellious Uzbek Taliban Commander Qari Salahuddin Ayoubi dispatched several hundred of his fighters to reinforce Mullah Mahdi's Hazara fighters in Balkhab. Few details of the unfolding situation are clear, but The Afghan Digest will share more complete information as it becomes available.
Some unverified reports claim that several Uzbek Taliban units have been disarmed in Faryab province.
Afghanistan is expected to take up a significant portion of the UN Human Rights Council’s agenda during their meetings in Geneva through July 8. Of particular interest will be the potential reinstatement of travel bans for senior Taliban leadership. Furthermore, several information briefings are planned to discuss the accusations of Taliban war crimes. The Taliban have reiterated their call to engage with the IEA, but many analysts believe these repeated calls are falling on deaf ears given the Taliban’s oppressive policies toward women and lack of a road map to establish an inclusive government.
Russia has floated the idea of recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The announcement comes a week after Russia said it would make sizable economic investments in the country.

`NEXT 24 HOURS`

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ envoy in Afghanistan is expected to begin touring neighboring countries to discuss the plight of refugees and she is expected to face heavy criticism from refugee communities for what is perceived to be a lack of progress on their cases. Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been protesting in front of UNHCR offices for months.
It is possible that combat operations will commence in Sar-e-Pul province between the Taliban and the breakaway Uzbek factions. As the Uzbek forces are barricaded in cities and towns, the potential for non-combatants being caught up in the fighting is considered extremely high.

`SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS`

The writer is the author of The Militant Discourse.

Will talks work?

By Khadim Hussain – Dawn

NEWS from Kabul regarding peace talks facilitated by the Afghan Taliban between the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a state-backed jirga is of ‘positive developments’. The perception that we may be moving towards the restoration of peace has been reinforced by the announcement of an ‘indefinite’ ceasefire by the TTP. The question is whether these talks will bear fruit in the form of a permanent cessation of terror attacks on Pakistani citizens, interests and installations.