Asia

Home page

Asia

Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan following the Taliban's rapid advance into Kabul

15 August 2021 20:19 (UTC +04:00)

Ashraf Ghani, who left Afghanistan on Sunday following the Taliban's rapid advance through the country and into Kabul, was twice elected Afghan president, as well as being one of the country's best-known academics.

President Ghani left the country hours after the Taliban entered the capital, government officials said. It was not yet clear where he was headed, or how power would be transferred.

First elected president in 2014, Ghani took over from Hamid Karzai, who led Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, and oversaw the conclusion of the U.S. combat mission, the near-complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country, as well as a fractious peace process with the insurgent Taliban.

He made the effort to end decades of war his top priority, despite continuing attacks on his government and security forces by the Taliban, and began peace talks with the insurgents in the Qatari capital of Doha in 2020.

However, Ghani, known for his quick temper alongside his deep thinking, was never accepted by the Taliban and peace talks made little headway.

Foreign governments were frustrated by the slow progress of talks, and calls grew for an interim government to replace his administration.

During his presidency, he managed to appoint a new generation of young, educated Afghans into leadership positions at a time the country's power corridors were occupied by a handful of elite figures and patronage networks.