Sunday, August 15, 2021 — Kabul, Afghanistan
I slept for almost an hour. I looked at the clock; it was almost 5 in the morning. The police forces, which are normally equipped with light weapons, have lost their ability to resist the Taliban, who, by capturing the army bases, now possess heavy weapons, bulletproof vehicles, and are equipped with tanks and Humvees.
The supply system is completely paralyzed, and it is not even possible to supply bread and water for the police. Despite the many years of talks between the officials of the Ministry of Interior and NATO to localize the supply and logistics system of the Ministry, our strategic partners have not agreed and have emphasized adapting the system experienced in America and Europe with a focus on the private sector. All the needs of the Afghan police, from weapons to nutrition, are provided by private companies, all of which have fled in recent weeks due to the increasing insecurity. The police now have no ammunition, their salaries have not been paid, and they don't even have bread or water.
"Reports from the Kabul city level indicate widespread disorder and confusion"
The Taliban have reached the neighboring provinces of Kabul. The special procedure for situations like this will be activated in the office of the Minister of Interior, and the Minister of Interior will directly take the leadership of the war in the provinces of Kapisa, Nangarhar, Maidan Wardak, Laghman, and Logar.
It is around 10 o'clock in the morning. Our contact with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the General Directorate of National Security has been disrupted. Reports from the Kabul city level indicate widespread disorder and confusion. It is decided that to prevent disorder in the city of Kabul, the police special forces will enter the police stations and be stationed in strategic points of the city, including diplomatic quarters.
Reports from the NATO coordination office indicate that five thousand fresh American troops will arrive in Kabul by evening, and will create a buffer line between the government forces and the Taliban within a radius of 200 to 250 kilometers from Kabul to prevent the fall of the city. There have been direct clashes with Taliban forces in several places around Kabul.
It's about 11:15. The president's secretary calls me as a chief of staff and says the president wants to talk to the interior minister. They talk for about 5 minutes. The president wants order to be maintained in Kabul.
The minister returns to the leadership of the ministry, and he decides to declare martial law from this evening so that the security forces can identify the enemy and prevent disorder in the city.
I call a family friend and ask him to take my wife and two children to their house. Reports from the NATO coordination office state that the commander of the American forces said that they have been informed to focus only on the transfer of diplomats to the airfield, and we cannot count on their support.
"Reports state that the president and the national security adviser have left the country"
It is reported that black smoke is rising from the headquarters of the US embassy in Kabul. We contacted the security unit of the diplomatic centers. They say that the US embassy is being evacuated, and they are burning documents and some embassy equipment.
At 1:22 PM, reports state that the president and the national security adviser have left the country, the first vice president is missing, and the second vice president has gone to Kabul airport to leave the country.
The hierarchy of command has been destroyed in the absence of the president and his deputies. There is no ammunition, and the national and military institutions have collapsed.
At once, the last two decades’ flash in my mind, from all the efforts we have made to bring change in Afghanistan, wherever my generation and I have worked days and nights for change. I have lost dozens of my colleagues who were martyred in terrorist attacks, including my driver who was martyred, and when I entered their house, his family said that his wife had also died by suicide in his absence …
Four hours later, two decades of progress crumbled.
Tuesday, July 2, 2024- Barmstedt, Germany
It has been 22 months since I arrived in Germany. On my first day here, at the age of 37, it felt as if the clock of my life was reset to zero, and I had to start learning to speak again like a child.
Today, I am a part of two interconnected societies. My journey began by studying the principles of German foreign policy on the “refugee crisis,” which emphasized addressing crises at their origin to prevent the creation of refugees.
Together with some friends, I established the “Afghanistan New Generation Experts Network”, bringing together hundreds of Afghan experts from around the world to transform Afghanistan's future. This network aims to convey and share facts with the Afghan audience. We have now established the “Afghanistan Watch” news agency, which focuses on the situation in Afghanistan and strives to maintain freedom of expression and access to facts for the Afghan audience.
We also initiated the “European Diversity Newsroom”, where the voices of refugees, the stateless, and the undocumented are integrated to influence policymaking in Europe.
A month ago, alongside other Afghan organizations in Europe, we founded the Network of Civil Organizations for the Future of Afghanistan in Geneva, Switzerland. Here, Afghan girls and boys collaborate and strategize to shape the future of our country.
"Togetherness is always preferable to confrontation"
Humanity has always aspired to travel in pursuit of better living conditions, with the Earth as our shared home. Political borders should not hinder our mutual understanding and coexistence. Just as goods and ideas flow across the globe, fostering our survival and development, we must embrace positive human exchanges. Togetherness is always preferable to confrontation.
I will forever be indebted to the German government and its people for saving my life and that of my family. I hope that the policy of protecting those at risk, rooted in human rights values, continues to garner widespread support in this country. Investing in border restrictions does not yield positive or lasting results; we must invest in creating a better life for all on this planet.