Global leaders condemn Taliban amid allegations of summary killings

WASHINGTON (DPA), 5 DEC, 2021 - More than 20 countries, including the US, Germany, and Britain, have issued a joint statement expressing concern regarding allegations former security force members have disappeared or were executed in Afghanistan.

The statement comes after a report by Human Rights Watch on Tuesday alleged more than a hundred former Afghan security forces had been killed or disappeared since the Taliban took control of the country almost four months ago. “We underline that the alleged actions constitute serious human rights abuses and contradict the Taliban’s announced amnesty,” the joint statement released by the US State Department on Saturday reads.

“We call on the Taliban to effectively enforce the amnesty for former members of the Afghan security forces and former government officials to ensure that it is upheld across the country and throughout their ranks,” the statement said. The countries, which also included Canada, Japan and Sweden, called for a full and transparent investigation of the allegations made by Human Rights Watch. “Those responsible must be held accountable, and these steps must be clearly publicized as an immediate deterrent to further killings and disappearances,” the statement reads.

“We will continue to measure the Taliban by their actions.”