DOHA: US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with the Taliban’s top political leader in Doha Monday, in what is believed to be the highest level engagement between the US and the Taliban since the months-long peace push began.
Khalilzad tweeted that he and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had held a “working lunch” ahead of a fresh round of talks with the insurgent group as the US seeks a way out of its longest war.
The arrival in Qatar late Sunday of Baradar, seen as close to Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, has helped fuel speculation of a breakthrough.
Marathon talks last month saw the two sides walk away with a “draft framework” that included a Taliban vow to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a haven for international terror groups.
There was no accord on a US withdrawal or a ceasefire, however, issues which have derailed attempts at peace talks in the past, while the government in Kabul has voiced increasingly loud fears it was being sidelined from the talks.
“Arrived in #Doha to meet with a more authoritative Taliban delegation. This could be a significant moment. Appreciate #Qatar for hosting & #Pakistan in facilitating travel. Now the work begins in earnest,” Khalilzad had tweeted.
He later posted: “Just finished a working lunch with Mullah Baradar and his team. The first time we’ve met. Now moving on to talks.”
A statement released by the Taliban late Monday on social media said their negotiating team would continue to be led by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, while Baradar would be on hand to provide “instructions” when needed.
Baradar is widely believed to be an influential leader carrying popular support across the Taliban’s myriad factions, sparking heightened expectations for the talks.
“The fact that Taliban deputy leader Mullah Baradar is attending the talks, shows both sides are serious this time,” Kabul-based analyst Ahmad Sayeedi told AFP.
Taliban expert Rahimullah Yusufzai added that Baradar’s long history as a leader in the movement also signalled to “rank and file fighters” that the negotiations were in the “hands of someone who is loyal”.
‘We are ready’
Afghan special envoy for peace Mohammad Omar Daudzai also lauded Baradar´s participation, saying the insurgent leader was known for being “independent” and making “tough decisions”.
“[I] hope he uses his independence to decide on peace as soon as possible,” Daudzai told a press conference in the Afghan capital.
Baradar was arrested in Pakistan in 2010, but was released in October and named as head of the Taliban´s political office in Doha.
He was long considered the number two to Taliban chief Mullah Omar, who died in 2013. Now he is one of several deputies to Akhundzada, along with Omar’s son and the head of the Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Meanwhile, the government in Kabul continued to voice concerns Monday over being sidelined from the negotiations.
The Taliban have steadfastly refused to negotiate with the Kabul government, whom they dismiss as “puppets”.
“The Taliban are still not ready to talk to the Afghan government, but we are ready. We think that the Taliban’s dishonesty is the only obstacle,” said Abdullah Abdullah, the country´s de-facto prime minister, in a televised address Monday.
“We are flexible and ready to make a team that is acceptable to all.”
The latest negotiations come as violence soars in Afghanistan, with the UN reporting Sunday that more civilians were killed in 2018 than any other year since records began in 2009.
US President Donald Trump has signalled his eagerness to end his country’s involvement in Afghanistan, where 14,000 American troops are still deployed.
Afghanistan has suffered nearly constant conflict since the Soviet invasion of 1979, which was followed by civil war, the Taliban regime, and the US invasion in late 2001.
