G7 ministers 'deeply concerned' by reports of reprisals in Afghanistan

Taliban urged to ensure safe passage for those fleeing the country

A man waves Afghanistan's national flag in Kabul, as the country marks its 102nd Independence Day on Thursday, August 20. This commemorates the country regaining full independence from British influence in 1919. AFP

Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul. AP Photo

Afghans pass by the poster of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who fled the country after Taliban took over, as they celebrate the Independence Day in Kabul. EPA

Cars and crowds are seen near the airport in Kabul. Reuters

People gather round the scene of a shooting outside Kabul airport, while others move away from the incident. Reuters

A Taliban fighter sitting on a vehicle guards the route of an Ashura procession in western city Herat. AFP

British and dual nationality citizens living in Afghanistan board a military plane at Kabul airport. Reuters

A US Marine processes an evacuee at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. AFP

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on his first video address since Taliban takeover. Facebook

People carry Afghan flags as they take part in an anti-Taliban protest in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Reuters

A woman holds a photograph during a protest to raise awareness of the situation in Afghanistan, outside EU headquarters in Brussels. AP Photo

Senior Taliban figure Abdul Ghani Baradar arrives in Afghanistan on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. AFP

A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty saloon where images of women have been defaced, in Shahr-e Naw neighbourhood in north-west Kabul. AFP

People wait to be evacuated from Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, following the Taliban takeover of the capital. AFP

Afghans make their way into Pakistan at the Chaman border crossing. AFP

Khairullah Khairkhwa, right, a former governor of western Herat province and now a member of the Taliban's political office in Qatar, speaks to the media after arriving in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. EPA

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan takes questions on events in Afghanistan, at a White House press briefing in Washington. EPA

Taliban forces guard a checkpoint in Kabul. Reuters

A young demonstrator attends a vigil in support of Afghanistan outside the West Los Angeles Federal Building, Los Angeles. EPA

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, centre, holds the group's first press conference in Kabul since the insurgents took the capital. AFP

Images of glamorous women displayed outside a beauty salon in Kabul have been painted over since the Taliban took control. EPA

A Taliban fighter in Afghan capital Kabul, where the group has told government staff to return to work. AFP

Taliban fighters on patrol in Kabul. AFP

Taliban fighters in an Afghan government forces pickup patrol the streets of Kabul. AFP

Taliban fighters pass a poster of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul. AFP

People queue outside Kabul airport as they try to leave Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Reuters

A Taliban fighter keeps watch outside the Interior Ministry in Kabul. AFP

Some of the first people flown out of Kabul after the Taliban takeover arrive at Frankfurt International Airport in Germany. AFP

People have arrived in Frankfurt after fleeing the Afghan capital. AFP

Western countries have been flying citizens and Afghans out of Kabul since it was seized by the Taliban. AFP

Foreign ministers of the G7 said they were “deeply concerned” by reports of “violent reprisals” in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban to abide by their commitments to protect civilians.

They called on the Taliban to guarantee safe passage for those who want to leave Afghanistan, amid reports that some Afghans had been blocked from reaching Kabul’s airport.

According to UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who chaired the virtual talks on Thursday, the G7 ministers “spoke about the gravity of the situation and the significant loss of life and internal displacement in Afghanistan over recent days.”

They also underlined their “commitment in particular to the urgent need for the cessation of violence, respect for human rights including for women, children and minorities and inclusive negotiations about the future of Afghanistan".

The G7 countries are the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The ministers said there was need for all parties to respect international humanitarian law, "in particular in relation to humanitarian and medical personnel, interpreters and other international service providers".

“G7 ministers discussed the importance of the international community providing safe and legal resettlement routes,” Mr Raab said.

“They concurred that the Taliban must ensure that Afghanistan does not become host to a terrorist threat to international security.”

The talks between the ministers came ahead of a planned summit of G7 leaders to discuss their response to the crisis in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s rapid takeover of the country.

In Thursday's meeting, the G7 ministers said the international response required “intensive engagement on the critical questions facing Afghanistan and the region,” with Afghans affected, parties to the conflict, the UN, G20, international donors and regional players.

“G7 ministers will each engage with partners in the coming days and weeks to seek to secure an inclusive political settlement, enable life-saving humanitarian assistance and support in Afghanistan and the region, and prevent any further loss of life in Afghanistan and to the international community from terrorism,” Mr Raab said.

“The G7 ministers call on the international community to come together with a shared mission to prevent the crisis in Afghanistan escalating.”