Belarus Scrubs Media Coverage of Taliban Delegation's Cheese Factory Visit
Belarusian outlets have removed reports and photos of a Taliban delegation that toured a cheese-making plant, prompting criticism from opposition figures.
Officials from the Taliban government traveled to the Slutz Cheese-Making Plant in Belarus, a trip reported on August 21 before being expunged from local news sites and social media. The removal appears to stem from backlash over female factory workers explaining their trade to an all-male delegation, which conflicts with the Taliban’s restrictions on women in Afghanistan. Exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya highlighted the hypocrisy of Belarus branding domestic critics as extremists while courting the Islamist regime.
Despite the purge, dissidents have archived the original photos and stories. Meanwhile, the Taliban publicises the visit as a high-level delegation exploring modern production technologies, led by irrigation and livestock minister Ataullah Omari and accompanied by officials from several ministries. A similar Taliban delegation visited Moldova earlier in August, sparking outrage there as well.
Why it matters
The incident reveals the diplomatic tightrope Belarus walks between authoritarian allies and domestic criticism.
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