The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday said that it was hosting former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his family after they fled Afghanistan on Sunday ahead of the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
"The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds," the Gulf state said in a brief statement.
It is unclear how long Ghani will remain in the country.
Ghani's exact whereabouts since Sunday had not been confirmed until the UAE released the statement. There had been speculation the ousted leader had fled to Tajikistan, Uzbekistan or Oman.
What has Ghani said?
Ghani has not released an official statement since leaving the Afghan capital. In a Facebook post released Sunday, Ghani said the "Taliban have won" and that he fled to avoid a "flood of bloodshed."
"If I had stayed, countless of my countrymen would be martyred and Kabul would face destruction."
Ghani has been criticized for leaving in haste and not allowing the possibility of a smooth transition of power.
Soon after it became clear that Ghani had left the country on Sunday, Taliban fighters advanced to the presidential palace in Kabul, the seat of power in Afghanistan, and were pictured sitting at the president's desk, assuming de facto control of the country.
