KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday that his government would release a final alliance with Taliban prisoners, removing the last obstacle in the way of direct negotiations with the insurgents to end the country’s long war .
His announcement came after a consultative meeting, where he was advised by thousands of representatives from across the country.
The release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, which the United States agreed to in February with the riots that also began with the fatal withdrawal of American troops, came in opposition to the Afghan government, which is holding the prisoners. After prolonged pressure from the Trump administration, Mr. Ghani released 4,600 prisoners from a list provided by the Taliban, but called for consultation on 400, who he said were accused or convicted of major crimes, including murder, which were beyond his power to forgive.
At the start of the consultative meeting, on Friday, more than 3,000 delegates found themselves under one tent in the capital Kabul, despite fears of the coronavirus. Mr Ghani said his government was at a crossroads.
“The Taliban have said that if the 400 prisoners are released, the direct talks between our negotiating team and the Taliban will begin three days later,” he said in his field against the delegates, seeking their advice. ‘In the meantime, they have threatened that if they are not released, not only will their war and violence continue, but they will escalate.
On Sunday, after two days of deliberations spread across more than 50 committees, the assembly released a statement calling for the release of the prisoners. The mood in the hall was often exciting. One delegate, a member of parliament who wore a sign that read: “Giving mobile in Taliban is betrayed,” was violently shoved out of the hall and attacked by a staff member when they resisted.
President Ghani said he would sign the decree on Sunday and release the 400 prisoners.
“We stood for a choice, and our decision was made easier today,” he said.
In a statement to the meeting, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Taliban had a duty to start immediate negotiations after the prisoners were released and promised to reduce the level of violence during the talks. while a permanent cease-fire will be discussed.
“The United States intends to hold the Taliban accountable to these commitments,” he said.
Many delegates said it appeared the Afghan government had already given US pressure to release the remaining prisoners. The meeting, convened only for consultation and without executive power, was a way for Mr Ghani to share political responsibility, they said. Representatives of several commissions added that they were asked to give affirmative or negative recommendations about the release of the 400 prisoners without being given details of what the prisoners were accused or convicted of.
Over the past few months, officials have given several reasons why they could not release the remaining prisoners. Some said the group included foreign nationals convicted of murder and the government did not have the authority to offer forgiveness on behalf of families of victims. Other officials said some of the detainees were drug dealers as members of organized crime groups affiliated with the Taliban. However, those criminals were included in lists of prisoners whose release the Taliban demanded.
A government document raised some questions about the crimes of the said prisoners. It said 156 of the 400 prisoners were sentenced to death, 105 were convicted of murder, 34 of kidnapping and 51 of drug trafficking. A handful were convicted of rape. But it also said that 44 were ‘blacklisted’ by the Afghan government and its partners. The crimes of four prisoners were described as “unidentifiable.”
Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, a Member of Parliament who was a delegate, said in the committees the delegates were given a clear choice: that the only obstacle that blocked direct negotiations with the Taliban was the release of the remaining prisoners. The Taliban had promised to start talks immediately if the prisoners were released, or to detect violence if they were not.
“Obviously people want the blood hole to stop,” Akhlaqi said. “The question is misleading. As the president himself said, he is not authorized to release these 400 prisoners because they have committed major crimes and they have already been convicted. ”
“If the president can not release them, how can the Jirga release them?” He added, referring to the consultative meeting. “The Jirga is not above our constitution.”
Mr Ghani’s government has found itself in an undeniable position, with its officials feeling that the United States has given legitimacy to the Taliban with a raging peace process that has deeply undermined the Afghan government. U.S. diplomats, prompted by President Trump’s urgency to leave Afghanistan, have lashed out at him for a deal to threaten Mr. To avoid Trump without pulling one. They voted on the withdrawal of the remaining American troops from Afghanistan over 14 months and the release of the 5,000 prisoners in talks that excluded the Afghan government.
The February agreement called for the release of Taliban prisoners within 10 days. Mr. Ghani has used his control over the fate of the prisoners as a way to show the Taliban that his government is not being overthrown. But the delay in getting to the negotiating table has caused the Americans to complete their withdrawals before the two Afghan opponents reach an agreement on a future system of governance and power-sharing.
On Saturday, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that the number of US troops in Afghanistan would be reduced to less than 5,000 by the end of November, down from just over 12,000 at the time of the signing of the agreement in February.
The gathering of the Afghan government of more than 3,000 people under one tent was criticized by health experts who feared breaking coronavirus restrictions would cause the pandemic to spread.
Just before the meeting, at least 17 representatives tested positive and were taken to hospitals, the Ministry of Public Health said. Khushal Nabizada, the director of public health for Kabul, said the results of the delegates’ tests before the first meeting came in, and that the delegates had been away from the meeting.
Although Afghan officials said all delegates were tested before they were allowed to participate, many of the delegates said they were never tested. Some of the 17 who tested positive may also have mixed with other delegates during a check-in process.
“There are 70 people in our committee,” said Masuma Bahar, a delegate. “I asked two women next to me and both said they were not tested.”
