The Taliban announced on Tuesday that they are disavowing many Afghan diplomatic missions overseas, refusing to honor passports, visas, and other documents issued by diplomats associated with Afghanistan's former Western-backed administration. This move is part of the Taliban's ongoing efforts to assert control over diplomatic missions since their return to power in 2021. Despite this, many of their leaders remain under sanctions, and no country recognizes them as Afghanistan's legitimate rulers.
Currently, the country's seat at the United Nations is still held by the former government led by Ashraf Ghani. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on social media platform X, declaring that documents issued by missions in various countries, including London, Berlin, Belgium, Bonn, and others, will no longer be accepted. The ministry emphasized that it bears no responsibility for these documents, which include passports, visa stickers, deeds, and endorsements.
The statement further directed individuals in these countries to seek consular services from embassies and consulates controlled by the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan government. The Taliban has been actively trying to take charge of more Afghan embassies abroad, with diplomats being sent to at least 14 countries as of March 2023.
Despite these efforts, some countries, such as Pakistan and China, maintain active diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls pose a significant obstacle to gaining official recognition as the country's legitimate government. They have imposed limitations on female education, job opportunities, and public presence.
A recent report by the U.N. mission in Afghanistan highlighted instances of the Taliban's enforcement of strict gender norms. In one case, intelligence officials forcibly closed the office of a women-led NGO for allowing female employees to report to work. The NGO was only allowed to reopen after agreeing not to permit women employees to come to the office.
In another incident in Zabul province, the Taliban's morality police prohibited women from traveling without a male guardian, threatening severe consequences for violations. The Taliban has not yet provided any comment on the U.N. mission's report.
