The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday accepted the credentials of the Taliban’s ambassador to the oil-rich Gulf Arab state, the biggest diplomatic coup for Afghanistan’s rulers, who are not officially recognized as the country’s legitimate government.
The development, the first Taliban ambassador since one was appointed to China last December, underscored the international divide over how to deal with the government now in Kabul.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul confirmed the news about Badruddin Haqqani in a post on the social media platform X. The ministry did not respond to requests for information about Haqqani, who was previously the Taliban’s envoy to the UAE.
Haqqani is not related to the Acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, who in June met the UAE leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, but he is from his team.
Sirajuddin Haqqani is the current leader of the powerful Haqqani network, a militant movement allied with the Taliban, and a designated global terrorist. He is wanted by the United States for his involvement in deadly attacks and is also on several sanctions lists.
Even though the Taliban remain isolated from the West, they have pursued bilateral ties with major regional powers. Last week, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov arrived in Afghanistan in the highest-level visit by a foreign official since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan three years ago.
The United Nations says that official recognition of the Taliban-run Afghanistan is “nearly impossible” while restrictions on women and girls are in place.
In a separate development Wednesday, a U.N.-appointed rights expert decried the Taliban’s decision to bar him from Afghanistan. The special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has frequently criticized the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls.
Bennett said the Taliban’s announcement that they would no longer grant him access to Afghanistan was “a step backwards and sends a concerning signal” about their engagement with the U.N. and the international community on human rights.
“I urge the Taliban to reverse their decision and reiterate my willingness and availability to travel to Afghanistan,” Bennett said.
A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in Kabul warned that Bennett’s activities were detrimental to the interests of Afghanistan and the Afghan people.
“It was deemed appropriate that Bennett continue his unprofessional conduct from the comfort of his office instead of tiring himself with needless travels,” the spokesperson, Abdul Qahar Balkhi, told The Associated Press in a message.
