In a video message, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani broke his silence for the first time after fleeing Kabul earlier this week. The statement came hours after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) confirmed that it had accepted Ghani and his family on humanitarian grounds.
Speaking from Dubai, Ghani said he was in the UAE to "avoid disasters" and had no intention of remaining in exile in the Gulf nation and was "in talks" to return home.
In a video message he posted on Facebook, Ashraf Ghani said he would have witnessed violence had he chosen to remain in Kabul. He also thanked Afghan defence forces for putting up a fight against the Taliban.
In what can be seen as a response to US President Joe Biden and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg's remarks, Ghani said, "I should not be judged by those who do not know all of the details."
Ashraf Ghani also mentioned that the Afghan government's negotiations with Taliban did not reach any conclusion. "It is our failure," he said.
Both US President Joe Biden and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg have said that the collapse of the Ghani government was caused by the "failure" of Afghan political leaders to come together to negotiate the future of their country.
Ashraf Ghani also said that he wanted to "transit the power to Taliban peacefully" but was "evicted from Afghanistan" against his will, the message said.
Referring to allegations levelled by the Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan that he fled Kabul with "four cars and a helicopter full of cash", Ashraf Ghani said he rejects all such allegations.
"Rumours that I left with a lot of money are completely baseless. They are a lie. You can verify this with the UAE Customs. I did not even have time to change my shoes. My security asked me to leave as there was an imminent threat to me as head of state," Ashraf Ghani said.
