U.S. Urges UN Member States to Adhere to Travel Ban on Taliban Officials

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, called on United Nations member countries to comply with the travel ban on Taliban officials who are on the UN sanctions list. He emphasized that these countries must obtain the necessary permission from the UN Sanctions Committee for these officials to travel.

During a press conference on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 5th, Miller responded to a question regarding the travel of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Minister of the Taliban, to the United Arab Emirates, stating: “(Regarding Haqqani’s trip to the United Arab Emirates) I will just note that member states hosting sanctioned Taliban members under UN sanctions need to obtain travel ban exemptions through the procedures outlined by the UN 1988 Sanctions Committee, and it’s important that member states follow these procedures.”Sirajuddin Haqqani is accused of involvement in terrorist attacks, and the United States has offered a $10 million reward for his arrest.

During this trip, he met with high-ranking Emirati officials, including the country’s president. The Taliban announced that during this visit, topics such as strengthening relations between the two countries, digitizing traffic management, and facilitating visa issuance for Afghans were discussed.

The UAE’s reception of Haqqani at the head of state level demonstrates the importance of this influential Taliban figure to the country.