KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, who is on the UN travel ban list and has a $10 million bounty on his head from the US government, has visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and met with senior officials, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, confirmed the visit on X today, stating that Abdul Haq Wasiq, the Taliban’s spy chief, is accompanying Haqqani on this trip.
“During the course of this visit, they engaged in high-level discussions with the President of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, wherein a range of issues of mutual interest were deliberated, including bilateral relations, regional stability, the economic fortification of Afghanistan, and several other pertinent subjects,” Mujahid said.
The Taliban spokesperson also highlighted the recent visit of Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, to the UAE, noting that he held extensive discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and promoting economic cooperation between the two countries.
Haqqani, who also leads the Haqqani Network—a faction of the Taliban responsible for dozens of terrorist attacks, including the 2008 hotel attack in Kabul that killed six people, including an American citizen—is on the UN sanctions list, which includes a foreign travel ban. In September 2012, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) designated Haqqani as an international terrorist and announced a $10 million reward for any information leading to his arrest.
It remains unclear whether Haqqani received an exemption from the UN Security Council’s travel ban prior to this visit. This marks the second time he has visited the UAE and met with the UAE president in recent years, with his first trip taking place last June. Last year, Haqqani and three other senior Taliban leaders traveled to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to perform Hajj after receiving a temporary travel ban exemption from the UNSC.
Following Haqqani’s first trip to the UAE, the US Department of State criticized the development, urging UN member states to adhere to the procedures set by the UN 1988 Sanctions Committee.
Matthew Miller, former spokesperson for the US Department of State, emphasized that countries must comply with the travel ban imposed on Taliban leaders and seek permission before receiving them in their countries.