The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Bernie Sanders on Friday criticized a reported plan to relocate Afghan allies of the United States to Central Africa, calling it “cruel and immoral” and urging the government to honor commitments made during the war in Afghanistan.
In a post on X, Sanders said Afghans who supported U.S.
forces “were promised safety” and should not be forced to choose “between
near-certain death at the hands of the Taliban or a country they’ve never
known.”
“We must not betray those who risk their lives to protect
our soldiers,” the top U.S. Senator said.
His remarks come after a report by The New York Times that
the administration of Donald Trump has discussed sending as many as 1,100
Afghans to the Democratic Republic of the Congo following the suspension of a
U.S. resettlement program.
According to the report, the group includes interpreters who
worked with the U.S. military, former members of Afghan Special Operations
forces and relatives of American service members. More than 400 children are
among those affected.
The Afghans have spent more than a year in Qatar after being
evacuated by the United States for their safety due to their ties to American
forces during the war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001.
Advocates and lawmakers have warned that relocating them to
a third country could place them at further risk and undermine U.S. credibility
with allies in future conflicts.
Sanders said the United States “must not betray those who
risk their lives to protect our soldiers,” echoing broader concerns among
critics of the reported plan.
