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Western governments owe Afghans, says Saleh

The recognition of the Taliban by Western governments would 鈥渋ntensify the civil war鈥 in Afghanistan, the former First Vice-President Amrullah Saleh has told the 麻豆社.

鈥淚t will lead to massacre and it will lead to an unprecedented level of violence that the country has not seen,鈥 Mr Saleh told the Hardtalk programme鈥檚 Stephen Sackur from an undisclosed location.

Western governments 鈥渙we鈥 Afghans and have to help them create a 鈥渓egitimate state鈥, he said.

Now a senior figure in the anti-Taliban National Resistance Front (NRF), Mr Saleh said they were ready to stop armed resistance, providing a mechanism is put in place to ensure a referendum or an election is held.

鈥淚f the Taliban win, for sure we will accept that legitimacy, but we will not surrender to a group which has come into power through a conspiracy.鈥

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

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