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Photo: Qatari negotiating delegations (Asia Times)
On Saturday, September 12, the historic talks between the Taliban and the political leaders of Afghanistan began in Qatar. These are the first direct negotiations in almost 20 years to resolve the situation in the country.
The Associated Press reports.
At the opening ceremony of the meeting, the chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, thanked the Taliban for participating in the peace talks and said the parties want to bring peace to Afghanistan. He also asked for a fire deal. According to Abdullah, 12,000 civilians have died in the country since February this year and 15,000 were injured.
One of the founders of the Taliban, Mullah Abdul-Ghani Baradar, urged not to sacrifice Islam for personal interests. According to the Taliban leader, the parties must accept religious provisions in the negotiations. At the same time, the Taliban pledged not to harbor terrorists in controlled territories and to negotiate with the Afghan government.
Also attending the ceremony was US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He stated that the negotiations will require a lot of work and concessions. The head of the US State Department expressed his hope for the preservation of women’s rights in society. Note that the Taliban oppose women’s education and restrict girls’ access to schools.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter that the talks that have started are “the best chance for peace.”
The Afghan government controls the country’s capital, Kabul, the provincial centers, and most of the regional centers; this is approximately 30% of the country’s territory. The Taliban control about 20% of the territory. The parties are in dispute for the rest of the country.
The Taliban movement began in 1994. From 1996 to 2001, it ruled Afghanistan. The official religion is Ashharism, one of the directions of Sunni Islam. In the territories under its control, the movement introduces the rules of Sharia and strictly controls their implementation.
We will recall, earlier in Germany, he said that the United States informed allies about the further reduction in the number of American troops in Afghanistan in the framework of the NATO peacekeeping mission “Resolute Support.” Through November this year, US units in Afghanistan will be reduced to just under 5,000 people.
