[ad_1]
The US State Department said late Friday that Pompeo will meet separately with the Afghan government and Taliban negotiating groups in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
In the Qatari capital, Pompeo will also meet with the country’s governor, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, and the foreign minister, according to the secretary’s agenda announced by the State Department.
With a Taliban diplomatic office in Doha, negotiations between the militant movement in Qatar’s capital have been conducted with the United States and more recently with the Kabul government.
Pompeo’s visit will be overshadowed by a rocket attack in the densely populated areas of Kabul on Saturday morning, which claimed the lives of at least eight people.
The Taliban have claimed they are not involved in the attack, but no other group has yet claimed responsibility.
The outgoing head of US diplomacy plans to visit seven countries in Europe and the Middle East during his latest trip, in an effort to highlight the terms of his term as President Donald Trump, who lost the election.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon announced that it would soon withdraw some 2,000 troops from Afghanistan, accelerating the process of reducing the contingent, agreed during negotiations between Washington and the Taliban in February. Under the plan above, all US troops should withdraw from Afghanistan by mid-2021.
Trump has repeatedly promised to end “eternal wars,” including the war in Afghanistan, the longest armed conflict in US history since the 2001 invasion that toppled the Taliban after the September 11 attacks.
US President-elect Joe Biden is also in favor of ending the war in Afghanistan, although analysts say he may not support a quick withdrawal of forces.
Penetration?
The Taliban have entered into a dialogue with the Afghan government for the first time.
The negotiations began on September 12 in Doha, the capital of Qatar, but stalled almost immediately after disagreements over the agenda, the format of the debate and religious interpretations.
Still on Friday, various sources told AFP news agency that the two sides had managed to resolve some of the differences.
The Taliban and the Afghan government have so far been unable to agree on how to address two key issues.
The hardline Sunni Taliban demand that the principles of the Hanafi Sunni school of jurisprudence be respected, but government negotiators say that legal system could become a tool to discriminate against the Hazaras, most of whom they are Shiites, and other minorities.
No less controversial was the question of how the agreement between the United States and the Taliban would shape the future peace agreement and what it would be called.
The Doha peace talks began with the signing of an agreement between the Taliban and Washington in February. The United States then pledged to withdraw all foreign forces from Afghanistan in exchange for security guarantees and a promise from the Taliban to start negotiations.
Although negotiations have begun, violence has escalated across Afghanistan and insurgents increasingly attack Afghan security forces.
Trump’s plans to reduce the contingent by January 15, less than a week before his successor, Biden, takes office, have been criticized by Kabul residents for worrying such actions will trigger a new wave of attacks. by the Taliban.
Most of the victims of the Afghan conflict are civilians.
Kabul officials are also concerned that Washington’s intentions will toughen the Taliban’s position at the negotiating table, which will determine the future of hard-won gains, including women’s rights.
It is not allowed to publish, quote or reproduce the information of the BNS news agency in the media and on websites without the written consent of UAB “BNS”.
[ad_2]
