Former BBC journalist Andrew North and nine other foreigners have been reportedly kidnapped by the Taliban from Kabul. Breaking the news, former vice president of Afghanistan Amrullah Saleh wrote in his Twitter post, “Due to no media, no reporting by citizens & a suffocating atmosphere of corruption, crime & atrocities aren't well exposed. As an example 9 citizens of western countries have been kidnapped amongst them Andrew North of BBC & Peter Juvenal owner of Gandomak Restaurant. Talibs are liars”.
Due to no media, no reporting by citizens & a suffocating atmosphere corruption, crime & atrocities aren't well exposed. As an example 9 citizens of western countries hv been kidnapped amongst them Andrew North of BBC & Peter Juvenal owner of Gandomak Restaurant. Talibs r liars.
— Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) February 11, 2022
The news was confirmed by Harun Najafizada the chief of an Afghan channel quoting his sources.
“Our sources confirm that North, alongside 9 other foreigners, working for international organizations, have been kidnapped by the Taliban and are in Taliban prisons,” he said in his post adding that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Is trying to negotiate with the Taliban for their release.
The Taliban have not yet commented on the alleged kidnapping of Andrew and others.
Andrew was working with a UN agency. The UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has said in a statement that “two journalists with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others.
“We will make no further comment given the nature of the situation.”
Two journalists on assignment with UNHCR and Afghan nationals working with them have been detained in Kabul. We are doing our utmost to resolve the situation, in coordination with others.
We will make no further comment given the nature of the situation.
— UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency (@Refugees) February 11, 2022
According to various sources, the UN agency has approached the Interior Minister of the Taliban regime Sirajuddin Haqqani. In his last meeting in December, Sirajudding Haqqani had told the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, Dibra Lines, that the world must be prepared to engage with the Taliban.
Interestingly, last year in December, there was a report that the UN was ready with a proposal to pay $6 million per year to Sirajuddin Haqqani to provide security to its personnel and missions working in Afghanistan. According to the proposal, the UN will pay the money to Haqqani to safeguard the UN offices and facilities in Afghanistan. The Interior Ministry of the Taliban government is responsible for the internal security including the security of the UN and other foreign missions in Afghanistan but the security situation in the country has gone worse after the Taliban’s capture of power.
