The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban government in Afghanistan announced on Saturday the successful repatriation of 17 Afghan citizens who had been detained in Morocco, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Mauritania. This operation was made possible through negotiations conducted by Taliban diplomatic representatives in Cairo, as reported by EFE news agency. According to the ministry's spokesperson, Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takel, these detainees were released over the past three months. They were subsequently returned to Afghanistan on flights operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines, the country's main airline, which operates under state auspices. The ministry emphasized that this repatriation was coordinated with the authorities of Egypt, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, and Mauritania. It reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Afghan citizens abroad and pledged to continue such efforts in the future. As of now, neither the Kabul authorities nor the Afghan embassy in Egypt have disclosed the reasons for the detention of these 17 individuals in the North African countries. Since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan has faced diplomatic isolation and an economy on the brink of collapse, exacerbated by the suspension of American aid via the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). According to data updated in March 2024 by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there are 5.3 million Afghan refugees or asylum seekers registered in neighboring countries, while 3.25 million are displaced within Afghanistan.
