Afghan Government "Peaceful Transfer of Power"... Surrenders to Taliban (Summary)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] After the Islamic militant group Taliban effectively took control of the entire territory of Afghanistan, they entered the last remaining capital area, Kabul, prompting the Afghan government to declare a de facto surrender by stating they would peacefully transfer power.

On the 15th (local time), according to AFP, the Afghan Interior Minister stated, "We will peacefully transfer power to the Taliban."

An Afghan government official also told AP News, "The Taliban negotiation team is moving to the presidential palace to prepare for the transfer of power," adding, "The goal of this negotiation is to peacefully hand over the government to the Taliban."

Earlier, the Taliban began entering the outskirts of Kabul.

Major foreign media outlets cited Afghan Interior Ministry officials reporting that the Taliban had started entering Kabul from all directions.

AP News also quoted government officials saying that the Taliban were present in Kabul’s Qala-e-Khalakan district and Karabag district, noting, "There is no fighting yet."

In this regard, the leader of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, which serves as their external liaison, reportedly issued orders to "avoid violence in Kabul city and allow safe passage for those wishing to escape," according to major foreign media.

Additionally, a Taliban spokesperson said on Twitter that members were instructed to wait at the gates of Kabul and not to enter the city.

However, local residents claim that some Taliban members entered Kabul without any clashes.

The Taliban stated they have no plans to seize Kabul by force and are negotiating with the Afghan government on a "peaceful surrender plan."

Regarding this, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani held an emergency meeting with Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace negotiations, and senior officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to major foreign media.

Previously, on the 12th, the Taliban captured the strategic city of Ghazni (the capital of Ghazni Province), located 150 km southwest of Kabul, and the next day took control of Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar Province, 50 km from Kabul, putting pressure on the metropolitan area.

The day before, they fought government forces in the Logar Province area, 11 km south of Kabul.

The Taliban currently control all major cities and border posts except for Kabul.