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At the beginning of the peace negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government, those involved confirmed their willingness to find a solution. But mistrust on both sides remains deep.
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 for an opening ceremony.
The inaugural meeting was opened by Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani. In addition to him, the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, and Mike Pompeo were also present. The US Secretary of State urged the negotiating parties to conclude a peace treaty. “I can’t push hard enough to take advantage of this opportunity,” Pompeo said. “We hope this chapter is one of reconciliation and progress, and not just another chronicle of tears and bloodshed.”
Goal: lasting peace
The president of the High Council for Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, described the beginning of the peace talks in the emirate as a moment that will go down in Afghanistan’s history as the end of the violence. “We have come here with good will and good intentions to end the 40-year bloodshed and achieve lasting peace across the country,” Abdullah said.
Much suspicion
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.
The killing continues
Perhaps the biggest point of contention is the ongoing violence: attacks and attacks happen almost every day. Only earlier in the week did Vice President Amrullah Saleh narrowly escape an assassination attempt. The other is the role of women and the constitution of the future Afghanistan. The Taliban would like to re-establish an Islamic emirate, with Sharia in place of the current constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
And the agreed exchange of prisoners also provokes discussions. Almost all the Taliban fighters have been released and the particularly dangerous leaders, accused of serious attacks with many deaths, have even been taken with them to Doha. How these convicted criminals will integrate into society in the future will be one of the sticking points in the negotiations.
The withdrawal of American troops was agreed
An agreement between the Taliban and the United States signed at the end of February obliges the Islamists to start peace negotiations. In return, the United States wants to withdraw its soldiers; US President Donald Trump announced another troop reduction Thursday. The fact that the talks have now started is the most important admission that the Americans have been able to persuade the Taliban in exchange for their withdrawal.
With information from Bernd Musch-Borowska, ARD-Studio New Delhi
