Ashraf Ghani is in UAE, confirms its Ministry of Foreign Affairs amid Afghanistan crisis

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said they have welcomed Ashraf Ghani into the country on 'humanitarian grounds'.

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: Ending speculations on the whereabouts of Ashraf Ghani, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed on Wednesday (August 18, 2021) that the Afghanistan President is in their country. "The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds," the official statement read.

The development comes a day after the UAE had affirmed that it is closely following recent developments in 'brotherly Afghanistan' and stressed the need to urgently achieve stability and security in the country.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation expressed its hope that Afghan parties will exert all efforts to achieve security, stability and development in Afghanistan to meet the hopes and aspirations of its brotherly people," the statement had read.

Ghani had fled Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgents approached Kabul on Sunday. Taking to Facebook, the 72-year-old said that he left the country in order to 'avoid bloodshed and clashes' with the Taliban that would endanger millions of Kabul residents.

He said that he was faced with a 'hard choice' between the 'armed Taliban' or 'leaving the dear country that he has dedicated his life to protecting the past 20 years'.

Ghani, who served as the president since 2014, also said that from now on, the Taliban will be responsible for the 'honour, wealth and preservation' of Afghanistan's people. He added that the terrorist group had won a 'trial of sword and guns', but could not win the hearts of the Afghan people.

Earlier, the Russian embassy in Kabul had claimed that Ghani fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not all fit in.

"Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac," Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by a news agency.