Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani has taken refuge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Gatekeepers News had reported that Ghani fled Afghanistan On Sunday and the Taliban took control of the Presidential palace.
UAE’s foreign ministry said the country has welcomed Ghani and his family have been welcomed to the country on humanitarian grounds.
On Wednesday, Ghani, in a video denied fleeing Afghanistan, saying he had left to prevent a “huge disaster”.
“For now, I am in the Emirates so that bloodshed and chaos is stopped,” he said. “I am currently in talks to return to Afghanistan.”
Ghani also described reports that he travelled to the UAE with a large amount of money as”completely baseless” and “lies”.
The Afghan President said he was evacuated by his security team from the presidential palace “in a condition where I couldn’t even put on my shoes”.
“Events unfolded at a fast pace. I wanted to negotiate an inclusive government with the Taliban,” he said, adding that he supported talks between the Taliban and former officials from his administration.
The 72-year-old has received backlash from other Afghan politicians for leaving the country.
“God will hold him accountable and the nation will also judge,” said Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation.
Also, the United States President, Joe Biden, in a speech on Monday, criticised Afghanistan’s government for abandoning the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ghani assumed office in 2014 and was re-elected in February 2020.
