Appoint Suhail Shaheen As Afghanistan Ambassador To UN, Taliban Ready To Start International Talks

Suhail Shaheen (left) with Taliban officials. (Twitter/@suhailshaheen1)

JAKARTA - The Afghan government created by the Taliban has appointed one of their spokespeople based in Doha, Qatar, Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan's ambassador to the United Nations, as they prepare to speak with world leaders at the United Nations meeting in New York, United States this week.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi made the request in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday. Muttaqi was asked to speak during the General Assembly's annual high-level meeting, which ends on Monday.

The spokesman for Secretary-General Guterres, Farhan Haq, confirmed Muttaqi's letter. However, the move sparked a row with Ghulam Isaczai, the UN ambassador in New York who represented the Afghan government that was toppled last month by the Taliban.

Haq said requests for a UN seat in Afghanistan had been sent to a nine-member credentialing committee, whose members include the United States, China, and Russia. The committee is unlikely to meet on the issue before Monday, so it is doubtful the Taliban foreign minister will speak to the world body.

Finally, the UN's acceptance of the Taliban ambassador would be an important step in the group's quest for international recognition, which could help unlock much-needed funding for Afghanistan's cash-strapped economy.

Earlier, Secretary-General Guterres said the Taliban's desire for international recognition is the only leverage other countries have to press for an inclusive government and respect for rights, especially for women, in Afghanistan.

"The Taliban letter said Isaczai's mission was "considered completed and he no longer represents Afghanistan," Haq said.

However, until a decision is made by the credentials committee, Isaczai will remain in the chair, according to General Assembly rules. He is currently scheduled to speak on the final day of the meeting on September 27, but it was not immediately clear if any countries objected following the Taliban letter.

Please note, the committee traditionally meets in October or November each year, to assess the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report for General Assembly approval before the end of the year. Committees and the General Assembly typically operate by consensus on credentials, diplomats said.

In addition to the United States, China and Russia, the other committee members are the Bahamas, Bhutan, Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone, and Sweden.

When the Taliban last ruled between 1996 and 2001, the ambassador of the Afghan government they ousted remained the UN representative after the credential committee delayed its decision on a rival claim to the seat.

The decision was postponed "with the understanding that current Afghan representatives accredited to the United Nations will continue to participate in the work of the General Assembly," according to the committee's report.