Afghanistan to release 400 'hard-core' Taliban to start peace talks
KABUL, Aug 9: Afghanistan agreed on Sunday to release 400 “hard-core” Taliban prisoners, paving the way for the beginning of peace talks aimed at ending more than 19 years of war.
KABUL, July 18: The Taliban's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada on Sunday said he "strenuously favours" a political settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan even as the hardline Islamist movement has launched a sweeping offensive across the nation.
The announcement comes as representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents sat down for a new round of talks in Doha over the weekend, stirring hopes that the long stalled peace talks were being resuscitated.
"In spite of the military gains and advances, the Islamic Emirate strenuously favors a political settlement in the country," Akhundzada said in a message released ahead of next week's Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
"Every opportunity for the establishment of an Islamic system, peace and security that presents itself will be made use of by the Islamic Emirate," he added.
For months, the two sides have been meeting on and off in the Qatari capital, but have achieved little if any notable success with the discussions appearing to have lost momentum as the militants made enormous gains on the battlefield.
The two sides were due to talk again on Sunday. The Taliban leader said his group remained committed to forging a solution to end the war but slammed "the opposition parties" for "wasting time".
"Our message remains that instead of relying on foreigners, let us resolve our issues among ourselves and rescue our homeland from the prevailing crisis," he added.
The insurgents have capitalised on the last stages of the withdrawal of US and other foreign troops from Afghanistan to launch a series of lightning offensives across large swathes of the country.
The group is now believed to control roughly half of the nation's 400 districts, several important border crossings, and have laid siege to a string of vital provincial capitals.
The Taliban have long appeared to be united, operating under an effective chain of command, and carrying out complex military campaigns despite perennial rumours of splits among the organisation's leadership.
Questions remain over how firm of a hand the Taliban's leaders have with commanders on the ground and whether they will be able to convince them to abide by a potential agreement if signed. The leader's statement notably made no mention of a formal ceasefire call for the Eid holidays.
- Temporary ceasefires
Over the years, the Taliban have announced a series of short truces during Islamic holidays that initially spurred hopes that a larger reduction of violence would be implemented in the country.
However the group has more recently been criticised for using the temporary ceasefires to resupply and replenish their fighters, allowing them to launch withering onslaughts on Afghanistan's security forces once the truce expires.
The US-led military coalition has been on the ground in Afghanistan for nearly two decades following an invasion launched in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Fears are growing that Afghan forces will be overwhelmed without the vital air support they provide, allowing for a complete Taliban military takeover or the start of a multi-sided civil war in a country awash with large stockpiles of weapons following nearly four decades of fighting.
DUSHANBE, July 15: Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Wednesday that the Chinese side will continue to provide anti-epidemic support including vaccines to Afghanistan until the country beats the outbreak.
Wang made the remarks during his meeting with Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar.
Noting that China and Afghanistan are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, Wang said that the Chinese side attaches great importance to the China-Afghanistan strategic cooperative partnership, and is willing to work with the country to prepare for high-level contacts between the two countries and send a positive and peaceful signal to the outside world.
Wang added that he hoped the Afghan government will ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Afghanistan.
Wang said that the hasty exit of U.S. and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) troops from Afghanistan has led to escalating tensions and expanding war in Afghanistan, and the settlement of the Afghan issue has arrived at a crossroads.
The Chinese side supports the establishment of a broad and inclusive political structure in Afghanistan through dialogue and consultation based on the "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" principle, he said.
Wang reaffirmed China's support for Afghanistan in becoming an independent, autonomous and neutral country that pursues a moderate Muslim policy.
He said Beijing backs Afghanistan in its fight against all forms of terrorism and in getting along well with all neighboring countries.
Wang also said that the urgent task is to avoid a civil war, restart the intra-Afghan negotiations, and seek a political reconciliation plan, especially to prevent various terrorist forces from growing stronger by taking advantage of the situation in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan should not become a place for terrorists to gather again, he added. Noting that all ethnic groups and factions are members of the big Afghan family, Wang said they should shoulder the responsibility to build peace, and hopes that the Afghan government will strengthen its confidence in peace talks and create necessary conditions for the reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Wang also urged the Taliban to make a clean break with all terrorist forces.
Stressing that China has never interfered in Afghanistan's internal affairs and harbors no geopolitical considerations, Wang said the Chinese side will continue to respect Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and believes that the Afghan people are capable of governing their own country well.
He added that the Chinese side is ready to facilitate the holding of intra-Afghan talks in China and contribute to the political settlement of the Afghan issue.
For his part, Atmar warmly congratulated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, saying that China is a good friend and neighbor of Afghanistan, and his country looks forward to a new level of cooperation with China in such areas as politics, economy and security.
The Afghan side fully agrees with China's position on the Afghan issue, and expects stronger cooperation with China within bilateral and multilateral frameworks to promote a political solution to the Afghan issue, he said.
He also said that the Afghan side is ready to strengthen security cooperation with China, and crack down on terrorist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, adding that his country will never allow any terrorist organization to do anything harmful to China in Afghanistan.
Atmar expressed his appreciation for China's support for Afghanistan's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, saying that the Afghan government will do its utmost to ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel and institutions in Afghanistan.RSS
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan 17: Gunmen fired on a car in northern Kabul on Sunday, killing two women judges who worked for Afghanistan’s high court and wounding the driver, a court official said. It was the latest attack in the Afghan capital during peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government officials in Qatar.
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan 17: Gunmen fired on a car in northern Kabul on Sunday, killing two women judges who worked for Afghanistan’s high court and wounding the driver, a court official said. It was the latest attack in the Afghan capital during peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government officials in Qatar.
KABUL, Sept 13: Taliban and Afghan government forces clashed across Afghanistan hours after the start of long-awaited peace talks in Doha on Saturday, officials said, underscoring the uphill challenge of settling a 19-year insurgency.
WASHINGTON, May 7: The U.S. special envoy on Afghanistan is on a mission to press Taliban negotiators in Doha and officials in India and Pakistan to support reduced violence, speeding up intra-Afghan peace talks and cooperating on the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department said on Wednesday.
