Taliban to talk to Swedish NGO after Afghan clinic closures

The Taliban said they would hold talks Thursday with representatives of a Swedish non-profit group after threats by the insurgents forced the organisation to close 42 clinics it runs in eastern Afghanistan.

The closures of the facilities run by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan in Taliban-controlled areas of Maidan Wardak province are expected to affect almost 6,000 people. The clinics in government controlled parts of the province remain open.

The closures came after Afghan forces last week raided a clinic run by the NGO, in pursuit of the Taliban. Two staffers died in the raid.

On Wednesday, Sonny Mansson, the group's director, told The Associated Press that the Taliban threatened the NGO's staff by saying that if they do not close the facilities, "it would have consequences for themselves and their families."
"We would like to send a clear message that protection of civilians and aid workers should be prioritized by all parties to the conflict," the NGO said in a statement, expressing concerns over violations in international humanitarian law and the "increase in attacks on citizens, health care and education facilities."