“While Taliban will no doubt mistreat every Afghan, it is worse for us. We are a legitimate target for them – this is simply because my son worked for the NZ Army.” A mother’s plea
Jamal Mussa’s mother and younger brothers had just five minutes warning that Taliban fighters were on the outskirts of their Bamiyan village this month. Neighbours ran down the street screaming, “the Taliban are coming!”
The former NZ Defence Force interpreter, his wife and their children have been brought to New Zealand – but his family back home in Bamiyan are not so fortunate.
They didn’t even have have time to grab food and blankets. They ran for the mountains.
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Hopes have faded that they can be extracted by NZ Defence personnel.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the C-130 Hercules’ third and final flight left Hamid Karzai International Airport last night, prior to suicide bomb attacks that have claimed the lives of 12 US soldiers and dozens of Afghan civilians. No New Zealand evacuees were left within Kabul airport.
“We strongly condemn what is a despicable attack on many innocent families and individuals who were simply seeking safety from the incredibly difficult and fragile situation in Afghanistan,” Ardern said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade remained in close contact with New Zealand citizens and permanent residents in Afghanistan.
“We acknowledge the incredibly difficult position those still in Afghanistan are in. The situation in Afghanistan is incredibly complex and fragile and continues to change rapidly. Our next job is to consider what can be done for those who remain in Afghanistan still. That will not be a quick or easy task.”
– Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
“The situation at Kabul’s airport has been extremely difficult for both people trying to get out, and those undertaking the evacuations,” Ardern said. “Operational considerations have now dictated the necessity to end further flights into Kabul.”
Ardern said 276 New Zealand nationals and permanent residents, their families, and other visa holders have been evacuated and assessed in the United Arab Emirates. About 100 more, including New Zealanders and Australians, were taken out on last night’s final flight from Kabul.
“We acknowledge the incredibly difficult position those still in Afghanistan are in. The situation in Afghanistan is incredibly complex and fragile and continues to change rapidly. Our next job is to consider what can be done for those who remain in Afghanistan still. That will not be a quick or easy task.”
It’s grim news for Mussa’s family, hiding from the Taliban in the mountains. In the final hours before the discovery of a Delta case forced New Zealand into lockdown, Jamal Mussa and other Afghan interpreters had met with Ardern. Both sides recall the discussion was polite and gracious; Ardern expressed her sympathy for their families, and asked them to provide more information to her office. But she was able to offer little reassurance.
“We see Taliban waiting to get us so that they could retaliate and revenge for our family member who worked with the New Zealand Army.”
– Jamal Mussa’s mother
Now, the world’s diplomats have abandoned their embassies in Kabul. Those few who remain are trapped in a cordoned perimeter at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Despite international dismay, US President Joe Biden is sticking to an August 31 deadline to withdraw the last US troops from Afghanistan.
In Bamiyan, Mussa’s family are hoping for any word of hope. Most days they leave the valleys where they are hiding, to climb to a high point where there is phone reception to talk to Mussa in Auckland. As he translates for Newsroom, his mother recounts the terror.
“We witnessed people running for their lives leaving behind all their belongings,” she says. “We witnessed small children, infants and elderlies, out in the open living in tents for days with no basic essentials, getting sick and some passed away as a result of no medical care.”
The Taliban fighters have come door to door, asking about Mussa’s family. Then, they marked the front of their house, and threatened neighbours. They were told to report to the Taliban if they learned the family’s whereabouts.
For their security, Newsroom is not naming them. “We heard a convoy of Taliban coming to villages looting houses, marking houses of people who worked for the Government, army and also asking villagers to inform them who worked with NATO, police, government. We know Taliban impounded local vehicles, both as part of their looting and also so locals are stuck and not able to leave town. We witnessed fear, despair and no hope for future.
“We see Taliban waiting to get us so that they could retaliate and revenge for our family member who worked with the New Zealand Army.”
One of Mussa’s brothers and his young family are hiding in one mountainous area. And Mussa’s youngest brother is looking after his 60-year old mother in another area.
“It is the end of summer and soon the cold season will arrive and temperatures will drop to minus zeroes. Bamiyan is famous for it is cold weather and living under such condition is waiting for deaths”
– Jamal Mussa’s mother
They are living under tents with few of the essentials of life. “It is hard for grown-ups but when families live with children and elderlies it is almost impossible,” Mussa interprets. “It is the end of summer and soon the cold season will arrive and temperatures will drop to minus zeroes. Bamiyan is famous for it is cold weather and living under such condition is waiting for deaths.
“We have to leave Bamiyan as living in Bamiyan is not possible as locals will report us to the Taliban – we need to try and get to Kabul so that we can hide in the refuge of the big city. Although we are not sure if that is a good plan either, as the costs of living are high and thousands of Afghans have started leaving Afghanistan. We are not sure if we can survive there too.
“One other main concern is also that Taliban has now access to government database including biometrics and they can find our family details anywhere in the country.”
“They know if they harm us, then they have harmed him. We are in their cross-hairs. Please help us. My son did not sign up for this job knowing he would go to New Zealand, things were very different then, we were hopeful for future, we do not deserve to be brutally killed by Taliban.”
– Jamal Mussa’s mother
Mussa’s mother is pleading for help for herself and her family. “While Taliban will no doubt mistreat every Afghan, it is worse for us. We are a legitimate target for them – this is simply because my son worked for the NZ Army.
“He was their ears, their eyes, told them about locals, they see him as spy, and they see him as one who betrayed them. He and his colleagues were involved in interrogation of Taliban prisoners and now all those prisoners are free roaming in Bamiyan and other cities looking for people like my son or those who worked with International forces to get their revenge.
“If they cannot reach him but they can reach us, and they know if they harm us, then they have harmed him. We are in their cross-hairs. Please help us. My son did not sign up for this job knowing he would go to New Zealand, things were very different then, we were hopeful for future, we do not deserve to be brutally killed by Taliban.”
An Air Force Hercules has completed a second flight into Kabul, returning evacuees to an airbase in the United Arab Emirates.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour said the aircrew and the Defence Force personnel on the ground at Hamid Karzai International Airport had successfully evacuated another group of New Zealand and Australian nationals and other visa holders out of Afghanistan overnight.
“We’re working as fast as possible but the reality is that there is a condensed timeframe to work to. The situation in Afghanistan remains highly volatile and dangerous.”
– Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour, Royal NZ Air Force
Rear Admiral Gilmour said NZ Defence Force would need to depart the Kabul airport before the United States withdrew its security forces. “We’re working as fast as possible but the reality is that there is a condensed timeframe to work to,” he said. “The situation in Afghanistan remains highly volatile and dangerous. The security situation on the ground continues to be closely monitored.
“Extraordinary efforts have been made by government agencies and partner nations to get people out.
“Our NZ Defence Force personnel on the ground at Hamid Karzai International Airport have been able to contact evacuees, advise them which gate at the airport to go to, check they meet the eligibility criteria, negotiate with security forces, and guide evacuees through the airport and then on to a military aircraft, whether that’s been our aircraft or the aircraft of one of our partner nations.”
But according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, the situation in Afghanistan right now is “highly uncertain, fragile, and changing rapidly”.
Due to the rapidly deteriorating situation, and a diminishing window for evacuations, a spokesperson said New Zealand had stopped accepting resettlement applications from Afghan nationals.
Those remaining New Zealand citizens and visa holders should not travel to the International Airport because of the ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack, she said, but instead move to a safe location and await further advice.
“The window to evacuate people out of Afghanistan is rapidly closing,” she said, “and we cannot assist all those we are seeking to evacuate.”
