JAKARTA - Afghanistan's central bank governor Ajmal Ahmady has fled Kabul. He questioned the loyalty of Afghan security forces and blamed President Ashraf Ghani and his inexperienced advisers for the country's rapid and chaotic fall to the Taliban.
Through his verified Twitter account, Ajmal Ahmady detailed how he worked at the bank until the militants were at the gates of Kabul. Ahmady said that the supply of US dollars was decreasing.
"The collapse of the Government in Afghanistan last week was swift and complete - it's confusing and hard to understand. This is how events unfolded from my point of view as Governor of the Central Bank," he wrote when starting the @aahmady twitter thread.
Quoted from ANTARA, a World Bank source who has corresponded with Ahmady said that the account was genuine.
1/The collapse of the Government in Afghanistan this past week was so swift and complete - it was disorienting and difficult to comprehend. This is how the events seemed to proceed from my perspective as Central Bank Governor.
— Ajmal Ahmady (@aahmady) August 16, 2021
"On Sunday I started work. Reports throughout the morning were getting more and more worrying. I left the bank and left the deputy in charge. I felt bad about leaving the staff," he said.
"Although most of the rural areas fell to the Taliban over the past few months, the provincial capital first fell just 1 week and two days ago!"
On Friday August 6, Ziranj fell. Over the next 6 days, a number of other provinces fell - mainly in the north.
"It didn't have to end like this. I'm sick of the lack of any planning by the Afghan leadership. Saw at the airport they left without telling anyone else."
Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday when Taliban insurgents entered Kabul almost without a fight.
The arrival of the Taliban in Kabul, a week after the insurgent group seized the provincial capital, Zaranj, said Ahmady, 43.
Ahmady was appointed acting governor of Afghanistan's Central Bank more than a year ago, having previously worked at the US Treasury, World Bank and private equity, according to a brief biography posted on the government's website.
"It seems hard to believe, but there are still suspicions as to why (Afghan National Security Forces) left the post so quickly," Ahmady said, referring to claims by some pro-government militia leaders that the surrender of troops in northern Afghanistan was the result of a conspiracy.
"There's something inexplicable."
As the Taliban progress, Ahmady said the Afghan currency market panicked, especially after the Central Bank was told Friday it would not accept any more dollars, pushing the price of the Afghan currency, down sharply.
"I had a meeting on Saturday to convince banks and money changers to calm them down. I can't believe it was a day before Kabul fell," Ahmady said.
He said the currency fell as far as 100 against the dollar, a decline of about 23 percent, before stabilizing at 86.
Ahmady said he boarded a military plane amid chaos on the tarmac after the commercial flight he had booked was overrun with passengers. It was not clear which military plane he boarded and he did not specify his destination.
"There was a commotion. Several shots were fired. Somehow, a close colleague of mine pushed me onto the plane," he said.
Ghani's lack of planning and failure to recognize the shortcomings of his advisers is the government's downfall, Ahmady said.
"Once the president's escape was announced, I knew within minutes chaos was going to happen. I couldn't forgive him for not making a transition plan."
"He himself had good ideas but poor execution. If I contribute to it, I share responsibility."
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