Pakistani border guards disperse stranded people gathered near a border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Chaman on July 15, 2021. Pakistan border guards used tear gas on July 15 to disperse hundreds of people who tried to storm a border crossing with Afghanistan, a day after the Taliban seized control of the Afghan side of the frontier, officials said.
Asghar ACHAKZAI / AFP
Pakistani border guards disperse stranded people gathered near a border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Chaman on July 15, 2021. Pakistan border guards used tear gas on July 15 to disperse hundreds of people who tried to storm a border crossing with Afghanistan, a day after the Taliban seized control of the Afghan side of the frontier, officials said.
Asghar ACHAKZAI / AFP
As chaos unfolds in Afghanistan on Monday following a Taliban takeover that took place over the weekend, world nations have begun to reveal their position on the developing crisis. Political forces in South Africa were silent on the matter until Monday afternoon, but Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has condemned the “tragic” scenes currently captivating a deeply concerned global audience.
Steenhuisen slammed the decision to withdraw American troops in Afghanistan, and levelled criticism against US President Joe Biden, with the ANC yet to respond to the situation.
Afghanistan situation ‘tragic’
Speaking to The South African on Monday 16 August. Steenhuisen said that what has transpired in Afghanistan – particularly in its capital city of Kabul where thousands of people are desperately trying to flee – is a monumental step in the wrong direction for the embattled nation.
“The situation in Afghanistan is tragic, hundreds of lives were lost and Billions of Rands spent in the name of regime change and democratisation, just to see it slide back into extremist Taliban control less than a fortnight after the withdrawal of the American administrators and troops,” he said.
On Sunday, it was confirmed that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled his own country with the Taliban on the verge of once again overthrowing government and taking over government.
Biden ‘repeated Vietnam playbook’ – Steenhuisen
US troops, as well as other armies, have withdrawn their presence in Afghanistan since establishing an armed presence in the country some 20-years ago, but failed to secure a peaceful path forward for the nation. With the US withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan nearly two weeks ago following Biden’s proclamation that their presence was no longer necessary with the situation there “stable”.
Steenhuisen said on Monday that Biden is guilty of committing the same failures that garnered global condemnation of the US during the Vietnam war.
“The Biden administration have repeated the Vietnam playbook, having done a deal with their opponents and in the process abandoning their allies,” he said.
“[This is a] spectacular waste of the lives lost, both civilian and military.”
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