November 11, 2001	Sunday	Shaba’an 24, 1422

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 10: The countries bordering on Afghanistan called on Saturday on the opposition forces to refrain from reprisals against supporters of the Taliban in Mazar-i-Sharif.

In a statement, officials of the “six-plus-two group” meeting here welcomed “the reported issuance of general amnesty by the United Front in Mazar-i-Sharif”.

The statement was read by Lakhdar Brahimi, special representative of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Afghanistan, who took part in the meeting, called to prepare a meeting of six-plus-two foreign ministers on Monday.

The group, which also includes Russia and the United States, urged all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to “observe fully the principles and requirements of international humanitarian and human rights law.”

It also called on them to “facilitate the immediate return of international staff to Mazar-i-Sharif to respond to urgent humanitarian and other needs.”

The United Nations withdrew international staff from Afghanistan before October 7, when the United States began a campaign of heavy air bombing against Taliban positions.

Brahimi returned to New York on Friday after a 10-day visit to Iran and Pakistan, where he sounded out government officials and Afghan opposition leaders on the role of the UN in a post-Taliban political arrangement.

Pakistan and Iran are members of the six-plus-two, along with China and three Central Asian republics, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.—AFP