Russia on Thursday became the first nation to officially recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group took control in 2021, following Moscow’s decision to remove the Taliban from its list of banned organizations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed it had accepted the credentials of Afghanistan’s newly appointed Ambassador, Gul Hassan Hassan. In a statement, the ministry said this formal recognition would help promote “productive bilateral cooperation.”

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry described the move as historic, quoting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who welcomed the decision as “a good example for other countries.”

The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after U.S. and NATO troops withdrew. Since then, they have been pushing for international recognition while enforcing a strict version of Islamic law.

Until now, no country had formally recognized the Taliban regime, though the group maintained diplomatic contacts and held high-level discussions with several countries, including China and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite those efforts, the Taliban government has remained largely isolated globally, primarily due to its severe restrictions on women.

Although the Taliban initially pledged a more moderate rule compared to their first period in power from 1996 to 2001, they began imposing strict limitations on women and girls shortly after the 2021 takeover. 

Women are barred from most jobs and public spaces, such as parks, gyms, and bathhouses, while girls are prohibited from education beyond grade six.

Russian officials have recently stressed the importance of engaging with the Taliban to support stability in Afghanistan, and in April, lifted the ban on the group.

Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, told state-run Channel One that President Vladimir Putin approved the recognition of the Taliban government based on recommendations from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Zhirnov said the decision reflects Russia’s “sincere desire to build full-scale relations with Afghanistan.”

Source: Agency 

MSH

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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