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For years, the government of Afghanistan was only a “puppet of the West” to the Taliban. Now the Islamists have started peace negotiations with her. Hopes are high, as are doubts.
Nearly two decades after the US-led military invasion of Afghanistan, peace talks have begun among Afghans in Qatar. Delegations from the Taliban and the Afghan government gathered in Doha on Saturday for an opening ceremony.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the parties to the conflict to seize the historic moment and protect the peace process. “We hope that this chapter is a chapter of reconciliation and progress and not just another chronicle of tears and bloodshed,” said Pompeo, who was invited to Doha.
“With good will and with good intentions”
The president of the Afghan High Council for Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, described the beginning of the peace talks in Doha as a moment that will go down in Afghanistan’s history as the end of the violence: “We came here with good will and with good intentions. around 40. – End years of bloodshed and achieve lasting national peace. “
Taliban deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said the militant group will honestly continue peace negotiations. “We want Afghanistan to have a positive relationship based on mutual respect in the region and with other countries in the world,” Baradar said.
Both teams of 21 had prepared meticulously over the past few weeks. The beginning of the talks was fraught with great hopes. The government has made the ceasefire a top priority, but experts doubt it will be implemented quickly. On the sidelines of the event, it was repeatedly emphasized that there was still a lot of mistrust between the conflicting parties.
Trump wants to end “wars without end” and withdraws
An agreement between the Taliban and the United States signed at the end of February forced the Islamists to start peace negotiations with Kabul. The United States wants to withdraw its soldiers; US President Donald Trump announced another troop reduction Thursday. Trump announces in the current US election campaign to end “endless wars.” The fact that the talks are starting now is the most important admission that the Americans have gotten the Taliban to agree in exchange for their promise to withdraw.
The conflict in Afghanistan continued brutally to the end. A prisoner exchange, which was supposed to build trust before the talks, had caused considerable delays. Although the Taliban had not killed any NATO soldiers since the agreement with the United States, they continued their intense fight against the Afghan security forces. For years, Islamists had refused to enter into talks with Kabul, calling the government a “puppet of the West.”
