Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for October 24, 2022
Newsline: Japanese ambassador meets Taliban official
The Taliban say one of their top officials has met with Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan. This comes after Japan partially reopened its embassy in Kabul last month. The Taliban said their acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, held talks with Okada Takashi in the capital on Sunday. (https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20221024_40/) The embassy said both sides exchanged candid views on issues including girls’ education and media freedom. Japan temporarily closed the embassy after the Taliban regained power last year. The meeting between Haqqani and Okada took place at a time when the international community is considering how to deal with the Taliban. The group has not been recognized as a legitimate government by any country so far.
Newsline: US, UK embassies issue terror alerts for Nigerian capital
Residents in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, were on high alert on Monday, after the U.S. and U.K. issued warnings about possible attacks in the city. On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy issued an alert for “an elevated risk of terror attacks” in the city, saying that possible targets include government buildings, places of worship and other public places. “The U.S. Embassy will offer reduced services until further notice,” the mission said in a statement, urging citizens to avoid all nonessential movements and crowds. (https://www.kiro7.com/news/world/nigerian-capital/) The U.K. mission in Nigeria also took a similar step and restricted entry to the British High Commission in the city in an updated terrorism alert. Nigeria’s security forces have in the past warned of similar attacks in Abuja, which is also in the north. It was, however, spared most such incidents until July, when nearly 1,000 inmates escaped during a jailbreak carried out by Islamic State-backed extremists.
Newsline: Japan closes Haiti embassy
Japan has temporarily closed its embassy in Haiti due to the worsening security and humanitarian situation, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Monday. (https://news.yahoo.com/japan-temporarily-closes-haiti-embassy-231712480.html) It is unclear how soon the embassy will reopen, a ministry official said. Japan has been urging its citizens not to travel to Haiti for any reason and for nationals who already there to leave the country immediately. Haiti is facing acute fuel shortages due to a blockade by a coalition of gangs that are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, with economic activity coming to a halt and many hospitals forced to close or curtail their operations.
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