Reuters has cited a UN document and sources familiar to the matter that, United Nations has proposed up to $8.2 million to the interior ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan for protection in the country.
The document reviews that the money will be paid next year to subsidize Taliban fighters wages now protecting the UN facilities in Afghanistan.
The plan will also allow the Taliban fighters to access monthly food allowance and is indeed an expansion of the UNs agreement with the previous Afghan government.
The agreement between the previous Afghan government and the UN was named SOMA (Status of Mission Agreement).
Deputy UN spokesman Farhan Haq has told Reuters that United Nations has a duty as an employer to reinforce and where necessary supplement the capacity of host states in circumstances where UN personnel work in areas of insecurity.
As per the proposed money, $4 million would boost the wages of individual Taliban members by $275 to $319 per month in addition to $90 for food per person.
The wages are said to be paid directly to security personnel, not through the de facto authorities in Kabul.
It is argued whether the allocation of money to the ministry of interior affairs the minister of which is on a black list of the US will violate US sanctions or not.
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not commented on the issue yet.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/24994
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