Afghan government announces team for talks with Taliban
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan’s government announced a 21-member team to negotiate with the Taliban, in a tentative sign of progress for the United States-brokered peace deal.
The list announced late on Thursday by the country’s State Ministry of Peace was headed by Masoom Stanekzai, a former National Directorate of Security chief and supporter of President Ashraf Ghani, and included politicians, former officials and representatives of civil society. Five members were women.
It was not immediately clear whether Ghani’s political rival Abdullah Abdullah would endorse the team selected, which diplomats have said would be vital given his camp’s strong influence in much of the country’s north and west.
Following the selection of the government’s negotiators, the next step should be to convene talks with the Taliban as part of a process aimed at ending America’s longest war and bringing peace to Afghanistan.
Abdullah’s spokesman said he could neither confirm or deny whether Abdullah supported the team.
Two sources - one a diplomat in Kabul briefed on the matter and another a member of Abdullah’s team - speaking on condition of anonymity, said negotiations had been taking place and he was likely to support the delegation.
The United States signed a troop withdrawal deal with the Taliban in February, but progress on moving to negotiations between the militant group and the Afghan government has been delayed, in part by the political feud between Ghani and Abdullah, who both claimed to be Afghanistan’s rightful leader following September’s disputed election.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo failed to mediate between the two men to create an “inclusive” government during a day-long visit to Kabul on Monday, and announced a $1 billion cut in US aid to Afghanistan, which he said could be reversed.