KABUL (TCA) — Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on March 12 expressed his disappointment over the Taliban’s lack of response to the Kabul peace offer, TOLOnews reports.
Speaking at the meeting of the Council of Ministers, Abdullah said the National Unity Government made the Taliban an offer that could ensure lasting peace and stability in the country, but that the group had not yet responded to the call.
The CEO said in order to achieve peace, political tension in the country needs to be resolved. He said with political unity, the chances of peace can increase.
This comes after Afgha President Ashraf Ghani laid out a new peace offer to the Taliban two weeks ago.
Ghani stated that if the Taliban comes to the negotiations table, the Afghan government will allow them to open an office in the country, even in Kabul if so desired. He also said the government would declare them a political group.
Alice Wells, a U.S. principal deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of South and Central Asian affairs, said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s offer of talks with the Taliban without any preconditions was the “most specific and forward-leaning proposal” for peace since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, RFE/RL reported.
Wells, speaking at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on March 9, urged the Taliban to give Ghani’s offer “serious consideration,” adding that there were signs the militant group was “assessing the proposal.”
On February 28, Ghani offered to allow the Taliban to establish itself as a political party and said he would work to remove sanctions on the militant group, among other incentives, if it joined the government in peace negotiations.
In return, the militants would have to recognize the Kabul government and respect the rule of law.
But the Taliban has continued to reject direct peace talks with the Kabul government and insisted it will only negotiate with the United States, which it calls a “foreign occupying force.” The Taliban also says that NATO forces must withdraw before negotiations can begin.
