"Duty Towards Afghans": UN Chief Calls For "Dialogue" With Taliban

UN chief Antonio Guterres said that the world must avoid an "economic collapse" in Afghanistan.

UN chief Antonio Guterres pleaded for nations to continue dialogue with the Taliban, during an interview with AFP Thursday, as he expressed fears that the hardline Islamists' return to power in Afghanistan could embolden jihadists in the Sahel. "We must maintain a dialogue with the Taliban, where we affirm our principles directly -- a dialogue with a feeling of solidarity with the Afghan people," he said. "Our duty is to extend our solidarity to a people who suffer greatly, where millions and millions risk dying of hunger," added the secretary-general. Guterres said that the world must avoid an "economic collapse" in Afghanistan.