PRESS RELEASE : Statement on violence in Afghanistan [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 October 2023.

The UK does not support anyone seeking to achieve political change through violence in Afghanistan.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

The UK Government does not support the use of UK territory by anyone, including Afghan nationals, to plan, recruit for, incite or finance terrorism in Afghanistan, or to seek political change through violence. We strongly discourage others from doing so. Political change sought through armed violence or incitement of violence that amounts to an offence in UK law can be subject to investigation.

Violence of any kind is not in the interests of Afghanistan, or the international community, and we deplore violent attacks of all kinds.

To promote peace and stability, to deliver essential humanitarian support to the Afghan people, and to address shared concerns on security, there is no alternative to engaging pragmatically with the current administration of Afghanistan, and this is what we are doing.