LISTEN: "For 20 years these guys have been the enemy and now I am going face-to-face with them"
A Durban man by the name of Dwayne Thompson escapes Kabul with the help from some Taliban. He speaks to Carol Ofori about his experience.
For years, we have heard the news and seen the headlines about war-torn Afghanistan. The amount of people whose lives have been affected by the war doesn't just extend to the locals, or the Americans, but also South Africans and many other people from other parts of the world.
Real life stories have been depicted in several movies and documentaries, which just shows a tip of what is actually happening in Afghanistan. USA President Joe Biden recently announced that he was recalling all the American troops back home, and this was after a 20-year period of back and forth fighting.
Carol Ofori managed to get in touch with someone who is from Ballito and has been working in the country as a protection officer for Canadians in Afghanistan. His name is Dwayne Thompson and he was a former soldier who served in the British military for close to 11 years.
"Thompson spent the last 8 years in war-torn Afghanistan performing security duties. He arrived home at the weekend after the withdrawal of American and Western allies over recent weeks." (North Coast Courier)
But his story left us wide eyed and surprised. Why? Because it was a group of Taliban that helped him escape the country.
After receiving reports that the Taliban were moving quite quickly, Dwayne and his team were feeling very uneasy about the way things were going to pan out.
And to be honest I really loved working in Afghanistan, yes it was dangerous and you know there was a lot going on in terms of the Taliban and the ISIS K, but in a whole it's actually a beautiful country and it's actually a good place to work.
"The normal 10-minute drive to the airport became a 3-hour gauntlet, while their vehicles were being stoned. The civilian side of the airport was being overrun as people attempted to flee the country, fears of a violent Taliban growing. When Afghanistan president, Ashraf Ghani was ordered by the Taliban to surrender on August 12, he escaped to the United Arab Emirates." (North Coast Courier)
He experienced good people during his time in Afghanistan. The people are friendly, he would get invited to their homes to share a meal. This is why he is feeling sad for the people and what they will have to face.
Dwayne's experience with speaking with the Taliban was the real deal. He was surprised at their friendliness. They were heavily armed, but he managed to build a bond with them.
"Thompson landed at King Shaka International Airport last Saturday where his wife Sam, daughter Ella-Mae and son, Brody were waiting for him with a ‘Welcome home, Dad’ poster." (North Coast Courier)
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