Afghanistan crisis: Taliban spokesman says there is no more war

Not long after the troops of western nations have made the move to clear out of Afghanistan, the Taliban insurgents carried out a rapid takeover of most of the country, including its capital. A spokesman for the insurgent group has addressed the rapid advances, saying that there is no more war in Afghanistan.

Speaking with Al Jazeera-Mubasher TV over the weekend, a spokesman from the Taliban’s political office, Muhammad Naeem, said that the war is over in the country and the kind of rule and regime would be made clear soon. Naeem explained that no diplomatic body or any of the related headquarters were not targeted. Naeem added that the group has given its assurance that it will provide safety for citizens and diplomatic missions.

“We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection,” Naeem told the outlet.

Naeem said that the group is determined to bring peace to everyone, taking every step in their resurgence in a responsible manner. As the group had advanced to Kabul, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country saying that he wanted to avoid any more bloodshed. Regarding Ghani’s departure from the country, Naeem said that the group did not expect Ghani to flee.

“We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people,” said Naeem. “We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others.”

Naeem also noted that the Taliban will not interfere in the affairs of others and, in turn, will not allow interference in their affairs. Naeem reiterated that the Taliban was also prepared to have diplomatic discussions with the international community regarding their concerns.

Meanwhile, a US official recently told AFP that the insurgent group would not have any access to Afghan reserves that are found in US accounts. The official said that any assets the government of Afghanistan has in the Central Bank in the US would not be made available to the Taliban. The International Monetary Fund disclosed that the Central Bank’s gross reserves was at $4.9 billion at the end of April.