The Taliban are said to have “officially asked Qatar for help in managing the airport as quickly as possible” both for “humanitarian assistance and for ensuring freedom of movement in a safe and secure manner, including the resumption of evacuations” .
It is the first foreign aircraft to land in Kabul since the departure of the last American soldiers on Monday . A Qatari plane carrying a technical team landed in the Afghan capital on Wednesday to discuss “the resumption of operations at the airport,” a source familiar with the matter told AFP.
“Although no final agreement was reached on the provision of technical assistance, a team from Qatar has started a discussion on the basis of a request” from the Islamist Taliban movement in power in Kabul and other protagonists , she added.
The resumption of evacuations mentioned
Arab media on Twitter quoted the Taliban spokesman as saying he “officially asked Qatar for help in running the airport as quickly as possible.” Doha maintains close relations with the Taliban, new masters of Kabul since August 15, and plays a central role in the negotiations between the Islamist regime and the international community.
The Boeing C-17A Globemaster touched down on the tarmac at Kabul airport. “Discussions are still ongoing on security issues,” said the same source. “The objective is to resume flights to and from Kabul, for humanitarian assistance and to ensure freedom of movement in a safe and secure manner, including the resumption of evacuations,” she said.
Taliban'ın kontrolü sonrası Kabil havalimanına ilk uçuş gerçekleştirilmiş.#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/AAOqw8raD4
— Yaser Emre (@yasiremres) September 1, 2021
Qatar had played the role of mediator in the peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban before the seizure of power by the Islamists on August 15. He has since kept a privileged link with the Taliban. The rich gas emirate is currently at the heart of the attention of the international community, for its ability to communicate with the new masters of Kabul.
“As a fair and neutral mediator in recent years between the Taliban and the United States, or between the Taliban and other Afghan parties, we have built trust” with all the protagonists, argued Wednesday the head of diplomacy Qatari Mohammed ben Abderrahmane Al-Thani. “This investment has produced that confidence. We all need to use it (…) for the future of Afghanistan. “