Blacklisted Taliban Members To Get Travel Exemptions For Peace Talks

Blacklisted Taliban Members To Get Travel Exemptions For Peace Talks

Although sanctions against the Taliban regime were renewed by the UN Security Council, it appears that blacklisted Taliban members will not find it difficult to obtain an exemption when they travel out of Afghanistan for reconciliatory and peace talks.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan was ousted by Afghan forces supported by the US in 2001 following its refusal to surrender a number of al Qaeda militants. The ouster followed the September 11 attacks on the United States by members of the Islamist network of Osama bin Laden.

A number of diplomats are hoping that the relaxation of the requirements for travel exemptions for blacklisted Taliban members will promote reconciliatory talks in Afghanistan.

The UN Security Council resolution encourages the Afghan government to submit a list of names that will be taken into consideration when they travel to specific locations for reconciliatory meetings. A passport or travel documents will be among the requirements for the individuals along with a specific destination and the duration of stay when they travel. The duration of stay at the specified location should not go over nine months for any of the blacklisted Taliban members.

According to Mark Lyall Grant, the British Ambassador to the UN, the exemption from the travel ban among blacklisted Taliban members is an effective way of promoting the process of peace and reconciliation, which is important for Afghanistan in the next two years.

It also puts into place the foundation for better cooperation between the sanctions committee and the government in Afghanistan. A meeting is expected to be held in Paris among officials from the government of Afghanistan, the Taliban and other similar groups. The future of the country will be the focus of the discussion.

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday December 18 2012, 3:13 AM EDT. Ref: Reuters. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0