United Nations, Aug 4 (UNI) The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday expressed its deep concern at the “high levels of violence” in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s military offensive and called for an immediate reduction in the violence.
It also said that the Taliban’s deliberate attacks on civilians and UN personnel may constitute war crimes, and that it does not support restoration of the Islamic Emirate in the country.
In a media statement on the escalating violence in Afghanistan, the UNSC, with India holding the presidency for the month, also condemned in the strongest terms the deplorable attack against the UN compound in Herat on July 30, in which one Afghan guard was killed and several others injured.
The UNSC members also expressed their deep concern about the reported serious human rights abuses and violations in communities affected by the ongoing armed conflict across the country.
The members condemned in the strongest terms all instances of terrorism and deliberate targeted attacks against civilians. They said that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances, including those related to the protection of civilians.
They underlined that deliberate attacks targeting civilians, UN personnel and UN compounds may constitute war crimes, and stressed the urgent need to bring the perpetrators to book.
The members called on the Afghan government and the Taliban to engage meaningfully in an inclusive, Afghan-led, and Afghan-owned peace process in order to make urgent progress towards a political settlement and a ceasefire.
The members said that there can be no military solution to the conflict and declared that they do not support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate by the Taliban.
The statement comes as the Taliban attacked the Afghan Defence Minister’s house in Kabul on Tuesday evening.
The Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar also called Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar late in the evening to request convening of an emergency session on Afghanistan at the UN Security Council, with India holding the month-long presidency of the 15-member world body.
UNI