Ghani's First Video After Fleeing Afghanistan
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After escaping Afghanistan, deposed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appears in a live broadcast for the first time and delivers a speech in response to recent events in his nation.
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Ghani denies leaving Afghanistan with large sums of money
In a live broadcast on his Facebook page, deposed President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani addressed the people of his country in light of recent events.
Ghani divulged that he fled Afghanistan not wanting to be a reason for bloodshed. Ghani denied allegations that he left the country with large sums of money, and stated that he arrived in the UAE with nothing.
Ghani disclosed that he was in the UAE and that he was in contact with the Taliban before leaving the country, in order to conduct an appropriate transfer of power according to the reconciliation committee.
The former President stressed that although the Taliban had pledged not to enter the capital, they were present around his presidential palace, causing him to flee with only his "clothes, shoes, and turban."
In his statement, he also divulged that "I will return to my nation in the near future" to support former President Hamid Karzai and Head of the Reconciliation Committee Abdullah Abdullah's political plans.
On Wednesday the UAE Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that President Ashraf Ghani and his family are in the UAE, clarifying in a statement that they have "welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds."
Early Wednesday, a senior Taliban member told Reuters that Afghanistan may be ruled by a governing council after the Taliban overtook the country. Waheedullah Hashimi, in an interview Wednesday, stated that the Taliban will also communicate with former pilots and soldiers from the Afghan armed forces to join its ranks.
On Sunday, Taliban fighters overtook Kabul with little resistance. An official disclosed that the movement will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul.
The Taliban has been strengthening their power in Afghanistan since last May, coinciding with the withdrawal of US forces.
