KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has criticized the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the sanctions monitoring team, calling it a “failed approach” and urging Western countries to reconsider their policies toward the group.
In an audio message sent to media on Friday, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid described the renewal of the UN sanctions monitoring team’s mandate as a “repeated and failed experience” that he said would not resolve Afghanistan’s current challenges.
Mujahid claimed that Afghanistan under Taliban control is “making progress, engaging with different countries, and experiencing increasing stability and security,” and added that Afghanistan requires cooperation, not the extension of sanctions.
Mujahid also expressed appreciation for the positions taken by China and Russia at the Security Council, calling on Western states to pursue constructive engagement with the group. He argued that the “tangible progress” and realities on the ground are not compatible with sanctions that were initially imposed during a period of crisis and have persisted for decades.
The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously extended the mandate of the sanctions monitoring team for another year. Resolution 2816 (2026), drafted by the United States, maintains sanctions imposed under the 1988 regime against the Taliban, including asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo on individuals and entities associated with the group.
Following the resolution’s adoption, several UN member states, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Pakistan, called on the Taliban to take “effective and verifiable actions” against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, and to end the policy of hostage taking and unlawful detention.
While the Security Council has at times granted short-term travel exemptions for Taliban leaders to attend international meetings over the past three years, the wider sanctions regime remains in force despite repeated calls from Taliban authorities for it to be lifted.
