Taliban say failure to recognize government could be a problem for ‘the world’

The Taliban say the United States’s failure to recognize their government in Afghanistan could lead to problems “for the world.” 

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters Saturday that the Afghan people have a right to have their government recognized by the U.S, Reuters reported.

“Our message to America is, if unrecognition continues, Afghan problems continue, it is the problem of the region and could turn into a problem for the world,” Mujahid said.

He told reporters that the “issues which caused” the 20-year war in Afghanistan could have been solved through negotiations and “political compromise,” Reuters noted.

The Taliban rapidly took over Afghanistan in mid-August as the U.S. and allied forces were withdrawing.

The U.S. officially withdrew from Afghanistan on Aug. 31, ending the nation’s longest war. The group unveiled its interim government in early September.

No country, including the U.S., has since recognized the Taliban’s government, though some nations have pursued varying levels of engagement with the insurgent group.

The international community has repeatedly raised concerns about whether the Taliban would rule the same way they did when they last held power, despite the Taliban claiming they would not.

The U.S. agreed earlier this month to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan following negotiations in Qatar but reiterated that it would not recognize the Taliban as the Afghan government.