ISLAMABAD: The Taliban has executed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former government security forces since seizing power in Afghanistan, according to a report released Tuesday.
The 25-page report documents the killings or disappearances of former Afghan officials from the military, police, intelligence services and pro-government militias who surrendered to or were detained by Taliban forces between August 15 and October 31, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW), which compiled the evidence.
The NGO says it gathered credible information on more than 100 killings or enforced disappearances from Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar,and Kunduz provinces, four of the country’s 34 provinces.
The Taliban leadership offered a “general amnesty” to all forces from the previous Afghan government both prior to and after the militant group took over the country in August.
Most of the provinces, including the capital Kabul, were handed over to them without a fight. The security forces surrendered en masse in several provinces, while others abandoned their duties and went into hiding.
HRW says the Taliban has gained access to employment records the former government left behind and are using them to identify people for arrest and execution.
“The Taliban leadership’s promised amnesty has not stopped local commanders from summarily executing or disappearing former Afghan security force members,” says Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW.
In response to the findings, Taliban officials told HRW they had removed from their ranks 755 members found to have committed such acts and established a military tribunal for those accused of murder, torture, and illegal detention. According to HRW, however, they have provided no information to corroborate their claim.
Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme on Monday distributed cash in the Afghan capital to about 3,000 families severely hit by the country’s growing humanitarian crisis since the Taliban seized power.
Global aid agencies have warned that more than half of Afghanistan’s 38 million population are expected to face hunger this winter, as the country grapples with a deteriorating economy following the return to power. “I never imagined that one day I would be sitting here in a queue seeking help,” said Bassana, aged 20, who lives with her family of 10.
“We will first buy food to avoid starving to death,” she added. The UN agency distributed 7,000 Afghanis ($74) to each family. – dpa
