Daily US Times: After months of delay, the first peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have begun in the Gulf state of Qatar.
Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, called the meeting “historic” as he flew to Doha for the opening ceremony.
The talks were due to start after a US-Taliban security deal in February but disagreements over a controversial prisoner swap stalled the next stage, as did violence in Afghanistan, where forty years of war are at a stalemate.
A delegation of leading Afghans left Kabul for Doha on 11 September, the day 19 years ago of the deadly attacks on the US’s twin tower which led to the end of Taliban rule.
Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the delegation, said they were seeking “a just and dignified peace”.
The US Secretary of State told the conference on Saturday that his country believed protecting everyone’s rights in Afghanistan “is the best way for you to break the cycle of violence”, and urged delegates to act “not only for this generation of Afghans but for future generations”.
The Taliban confirmed on Thursday that they would attend, after a final group of six prisoners were released.
In the conference, Taliban leader Mullah Baradar Akhund urged Afghanistan to have an “Islamic system in which all tribes and ethnicities… live their lives in love and brotherhood”.
He added: “Negotiations may have problems but should move forward with patience.”
What to expect from the Taliban and the government
These are the first direct talks between the Afghan government and the militant group. Until now, the militant group refused to meet the government, calling them powerless and American “puppets”.
Both sides are aiming for political reconciliation and an end to decades of violence, which began with the 1979 Soviet invasion.
The talks were scheduled to begin in March but were repeatedly delayed by a dispute over the prisoner swap agreed in the February US-Taliban deal.
The separate but linked US-Taliban deal set out a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees.
That agreement between the US and Taliban took over a year to finalise, and the Afghan government-Taliban talks are expected to be even more complicated. Many experts and observers worry that fragile progress made in women’s rights could be sacrificed in the process.
The talks also present a challenge to the militant group, who will have to bring forward a tangible political vision for Afghanistan. The Taliban have so far been vague, stating they wish to see an “Islamic” but also “inclusive” government.
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