U.S. Puts Afghan Allies Between Congo Option or Return to Taliban Rule

Sudanhorizon – Agencies

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly negotiating to send up to 1,100 Afghan refugees to the Democratic Republic of the Congo after suspending a U.S. resettlement program for Afghans who assisted the United States during the Afghanistan war, according to a relief worker familiar with the plan speaking to The New York Times.

The newspaper reported on Tuesday that the group includes interpreters who worked with the U.S. military, former members of Afghan special operations forces, and family members of U.S. soldiers, including more than 400 children.

The Afghans have been awaiting resettlement arrangements for over a year in Qatar, where they were relocated after being evacuated by the United States for their safety due to their support for U.S. forces during the war against Taliban, which began in 2001.

Shawn VanDiver, head of the relief organization AfghanEvac, said he was briefed on the Congo plan by U.S. State Department officials. He added that Afghans would be given a choice between returning to live under Taliban rule or being sent to the Congo, which is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Meanwhile, Tommy Pigott accused the administration of Joe Biden of rushing to bring Afghan allies into the United States. He said the Trump administration was working to find alternatives for the remaining Afghans.

Pigott stated: “The American people have had to bear the consequences of the irresponsible way hundreds of thousands of Afghans were brought into the United States. Our focus now is on restoring accountability by strengthening responsible and voluntary resettlement options.”

According to VanDiver and diplomats familiar with the discussions, U.S. diplomats have been asking African countries for months to accept Afghan refugees, but negotiations have failed in several cases.

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