UN split over ban on Taliban officials' travel

A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, seen here, has called on the United Nations to drop its travel ban on Taliban officials

A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, seen here, has called on the United Nations to drop its travel ban on Taliban officials

Members of the United Nations Security Council remained divided Monday over whether to exempt some of Afghanistan's Taliban officials from a travel ban, diplomatic sources said.

Under a 2011 Security Council resolution, 135 Taliban leaders are subject to a sanctions regime that includes asset freezes and travel bans.

But this exemption ended last Friday, after Ireland objected to its automatic renewal for another month.

Several Western countries would like to further reduce the list, according to diplomatic sources.

Early this month the United States announced the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike on Kabul, calling into question the Taliban's promise not to harbor militant groups.

"These exemptions are still just as necessary," the Chinese presidency of the Security Council said last week, deeming it "counterproductive" to link human rights to travel issues for Taliban officials. 

Discussions are expected to continue.

That was of particular concern to the Taliban's foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, who has visited Qatar several times in recent months for diplomatic discussions and who was among the 13 exemptions. 

"If the travel ban is extended, it will create distance instead of promoting dialogue & engagement, an outcome that must be prevented," the spokesman said.

...