On Saturday 27 January, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security condemned the attack by an ambulance packed with explosives that left at least 103 people dead in Afghanistan.
The explosion took place close to EU delegation in the country, which, according to
Le Monde newspaper, immediately transferred its personnel to confined secure areas.
This is the third terrorist attack targeting civilians in less than a week. On 20 January, an attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul killed 25 people. On 24 January, the Save the Children NGO was hit (see EUROPE 11946). Since the publication of the High Representative’s publication, another attack has been made on the military academy in the capital, leaving at least 11 people dead.
Mogherini said, “These acts are against the people of Afghanistan, against reconciliation, against peace. For too long, the aspiration of many to live in peace has been hijacked by the struggle for power of a few”. She added, “My thoughts and the thoughts of citizens of the whole European Union are with the Afghan people”. She pointed out that, “as the European Union, we have always worked and will keep working with the people of Afghanistan, with its government, with the many who seek peace”.
The European Union is attempting to help Afghanistan in the fight against terrorism. In this connection she appointed a Special Envoy to Afghanistan last June: Roland Kobia’s role is “to help make the EU contribution to achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan in the region a reality” (see EUROPE 11813). The European Union also supports the Kabul peace and reconciliation process. The EU is making a financial contribution to the UN’s Development Programme’s (UNDP) Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) to the tune of €40 million a year. It is also providing funding of €3 million to strengthen the country’s resilience and is dedicating €8 million to the Afghan police force, the same amount granted to the Clean and Green Cities Programme that aims to develop stabilisation, peace consolidation and the provision of local services in three key cities, in addition to €7.5 million for border management. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)