Doha
Afghanistan’s warring sides started negotiations in Doha on Saturday for the first time. These aimed at ending decades of war, bringing together delegates appointed by the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani opened the negotiations at a ceremony in a luxury Doha hotel, flanked by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Washington’s Afghanistan special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. The Afghan government’s top negotiator at historic peace talks in Doha thanked the Taliban for their “willingness to negotiate” as the opening ceremony began.
“I can tell you with confidence that the history of our country will remember today as the end of the war and suffering of our people,” said Abdullah Abdullah, an Afghan former minister.
The head of Afghanistan’s peace council, Abdullah Abdullah, said that even if the two sides could not agree on all points, they should compromise. “I want all to consider Islam in their negotiations and agreements and not to sacrifice Islam to personal interests,” said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban co-founder adding that he wanted an “Islamic system” in Afghanistan.
United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged warring Afghan sides to seize the opportunity to strike a peace deal at the opening ceremony for long-awaited negotiations in Doha on Saturday.
“The choice of your future political system is, of course, yours to make,” he said, adding that he hoped the solution would protect the rights of all Afghan and protect social progress, including the presence of women in public life.
“I cannot strongly enough urge you, seize this opportunity,” he added. The sides will try to tackle tough issues. This includes the terms of a permanent cease-fire, the rights of women and minorities and the disarming of tens of thousands of Taliban fighters and militias loyal to warlords, some of them aligned with the government. The Afghan sides are also expected to discuss constitutional changes, and power sharing. Even seemingly mundane issues like the flag and the name of the country — the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or as the Taliban’s administration had been known, when it ruled, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan — could find their way on to the negotiation table and roil tempers.
Among the government-appointed negotiators are four women, who vow to preserve women’s rights in any power-sharing deal with the Taliban. This includes the right to work, education and participation in political life.
“Washington’s goals are very simple: It wants intra-Afghan talks happening as soon as possible, because these give the White House political cover for an imminent withdrawal,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Washington-based Wilson Center’s Asia program.
“Trump likely wants a peace deal before the election, so that he can garner political benefits galore and pitch himself as a Nobel Peace Prize candidate. But presumably even he realises it’s wildly unrealistic to expect a deal so soon. These types of negotiations tend to be measured in years, not weeks.” In Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hailed the start of peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government as an “historic opportunity.”
Speaking on the occasion, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said an inclusive peace process in which women, youth and victims of conflict are meaningfully represented offers best hope of a sustainable solution.
Guterres expressed hope that progress towards peace can lead to return of millions of Afghans displaced internally and across borders to their homes.
Expressing his views, China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said cessation of violence and durable peace is strongest wish of over 37 million Afghan people and shared expectation of regional countries and international community.
