The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation announced on Wednesday that the United Arab Emirates "has received Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his family in the country for humanitarian reasons," according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM). The agency did not disclose further details regarding the circumstances and timing of Ghani and his family's arrival in the Gulf state.
Ghani had abruptly left Afghanistan on Sunday as the Taliban took control of the capital, Kabul, stating afterward that he decided to leave "to prevent bloodshed." He wrote on his Facebook account: "I faced difficult choices today," which were either "to confront armed Taliban fighters who wanted to enter the palace or to leave the beloved country (Afghanistan) that I dedicated my life to protecting over the past twenty years."
He stated, "To avoid bleeding, I believed it was better to leave. The Taliban won power by sword and gun, and now they are responsible for protecting the honor and wealth and dignity of the people." He urged the movement to "reassure all people, states, and different sectors, including women in Afghanistan, in order to gain legitimacy and the hearts of the people" and to "develop a clear plan to implement and share with the public."
The Taliban took full control of Afghanistan on Sunday after weeks of rapid advances within the country following the withdrawal of foreign forces. On Tuesday, the movement presented what it described as a "reconciliation offer," pledging not to take revenge on opponents and to respect women's rights in a government that is "different" for Afghanistan than it was twenty years ago. This announcement came shortly after the return of Taliban Deputy Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar to Afghanistan, just two days after the movement, which he helped to found, regained power in the country after being ousted by a Western invasion led by the United States in 2001.
