Taliban urges West to review sanctions policy after UN monitoring team extension

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban, described the United Nations Security Council's extension of the sanctions monitoring team's mandate as a "failed and ineffective action" and called on Western countries to review their sanctions policy. In an audio message to media outlets, Mujahid stated that continuing this approach would yield no results.

Mujahid highlighted increasing development and security in Afghanistan, asserting that "progress in Afghanistan is incompatible with sanctions." He thanked China and Russia for their positions in the Security Council and urged Western countries to pursue "constructive engagement" with Afghanistan.

The Security Council on Thursday, 23 Dalwa (Feb. 12), unanimously approved the resolution extending the monitoring team's mandate for one year. The resolution maintains sanctions under the so-called 1988 regime against the Taliban, including asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes on associated individuals and entities. Travel exemptions for some Taliban leaders were not extended.

The United States drafted the resolution. The monitoring team supports the committee responsible for implementing and overseeing these sanctions related to Afghanistan.

The Taliban has described international sanctions as an obstacle to Afghanistan's economic growth and demanded their lifting. Western countries have linked the continuation of these restrictions to the Taliban's performance on human rights, forming an inclusive government, and counter-terrorism.

Mujahid stated that only Dennis Walter Keill and Paulyncis Jackson are in Taliban custody. The United States has repeatedly demanded information on Mahmoud Shah Habibi, a dual Afghan-American citizen and former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation authority, offering up to $5 million for information leading to his safe return. The FBI claims Habibi was detained in Afghanistan in 2022 shortly after the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri, a claim the Taliban denies.

Meanwhile, Collective Security Treaty Organization Joint Staff Chief Andrei Serdyukov said terrorist groups' activities in Afghanistan negatively impact regional stability, posing a serious threat to Central Asian countries. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu described the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border as the "main focus of security challenges" for CSTO members.