By Ebi Kesiena
Former Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, has apologised to the people of Afghanistan for fleeing the country to take refuge in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and allowing the Taliban take over power.
Reports say he fled to UAE with about $169m (£123m) but he has since denied those allegations. Ghani abruptly left Afghanistan as Taliban militants advanced on the capital on August 15.
Ghani noted on his social media page that leaving Kabul was the most difficult decision of his life.
“I’m sorry I could not make it end differently,” he said.
He stated that he had not intended to abandon his people, but it was the only way in order to avoid widespread violence.
“I left at the urging of the palace security, who advised me that to stay risked setting off the same street-to-street fighting the city had suffered during the civil war of the 1990s and to save Kabul and her six million citizens,” he added.
He however added that he had devoted 20 years to helping Afghanistan become a democratic, prosperous and sovereign state, and that he had deep and profound regret that his own chapter ended in similar tragedy to my predecessors.
