Taliban against the Red Cross

They accuse the humanitarian organization of not caring for prisoners on hunger strike. The Red Cross maintains silence on the communiqué and states that it will seek direct dialogue with the Taliban. Fr. Moretti: a very precious body for the country. Violence continues: attack in progress at a training camp. Yesterday, suicide bombing in Kabul in a Shiite educational center. The long shadow of Isis.

Kabul (AsiaNews) - The Taliban will no longer guarantee safe passage to Red Cross operators. This was announced yesterday by the rebel group, accusing the organization of having neglected prisoners on hunger strike in Pul-e Charkhi prison in Kabul. Meanwhile, bloodshed in the country continues, the work of ISIS militants.

"The Islamic Emirate - states the Taliban declaration - will not guarantee the protection of lives and properties [of the Red Cross]" until the organization corrects its actions. 

Sanela Bajrambasic, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that the group delegation went to the prison last August 13th. She also explained that the Red Cross will not comment publicly the announcement of the Taliban, but that will seek direct contact with the rebel group. 

Contacted by AsiaNews, the Red Cross has kept silent about the declaration, reaffirming the line - applied wherever it is present - of neutrality and dialogue with all parties involved in the conflicts.

"Both the ban on passing and the lack of protection would be serious", comments Fr. Giuseppe Moretti, chaplain at the Italian embassy and responsible for the missio sui iuris of Afghanistan until 2015. "The Red Cross must pass through those territories: if they go there by plane it's one thing, but by car? It means paralyzing the activity of the Red Cross, which certainly does not support any army: it wants to remain international. Their activity is invaluable in Afghanistan ".

The declaration of the Islamist group comes in a context of heated clashes between the Taliban and the Afghan forces. In the last hours, the military has rejected the Islamist group from Ghazni, after days of clashes began on 10 August. 

However, the Taliban are not the only threat. 

Today, an armed group of which not yet known number and affiliation is attacking a military training center in the capital. Yesterday, a suicide attack took place in the west of Kabul, killing at least 34 people in a Shiite educational center (see photo). It is feared that the majority of the victims are young students of the school. ISIS has claimed the attack. Even before the announcement, the Shiites had accused the militants of Daesh [Arabic acronym of Islamic State, ed], who in recent months have repeatedly attacked the minority.

• afghanistan
• red cross
• Taliban
• isis
• suicide attack
• war
• ghazni