Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 29, 2019 Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has opened a four-day Loya Jirga, or grand assembly, with more than 3,200 delegates seeking to agree on a common approach to peace talks with the Taliban. The Loya Jirga bringing together politicians, tribal elders, and other prominent figures was overshadowed by no-shows by
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 28, 2019 Afghanistan is scheduled on April 29 to convene a rare Loya Jirga — a traditional gathering of elders, religious scholars, and prominent Afghans — with more than 2,000 people from across the country having been invited to discuss U.S.-led peace efforts. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s Special Envoy Omar
Jeff Seldin VOA News April 24, 2019 Ayaz Gul in Islamabad contributed to this report. WASHINGTON — A peace treaty to end more than 17 years of war in Afghanistan could usher in a new era of instability and erase many of the gains made by international reconstruction efforts, a key U.S. official cautioned Wednesday.
Press TV April 21, 2019 A highly-placed member of the Taliban militant group says the next round of negotiations between the outfit and the United States will focus on the timetable for the pullout of all foreign troops from Afghanistan. In an interview with AFP in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Saturday, the Taliban’s political spokesman Suhail
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan April 19, 2019 Disputes over the size of delegations have roiled critical peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, with new talks in Qatar now suspended and Washington urging both sides to return to the table. The talks, which had been scheduled for April 19, were considered a
Ayaz Gul VOA News April 15, 2019 ISLAMABAD — American and Taliban officials have indicated their months-long peace dialogue remains on track, despite the intensification of hostilities in Afghanistan that came with the start of the insurgent group’s spring offensive. U.S.-backed Afghan security forces and insurgents have both claimed they have inflicted heavy casualties on each
By RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan April 8, 2019 Afghanistan will send a government delegation for talks with the Taliban in Qatar, in a potential breakthrough in efforts to end the nearly 18-year war, even as the militants said participants will attend the meeting only in a “personal capacity.” U.S. and Taliban negotiators have held several
Ayaz Gul VOA News April 7, 2019 ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has established a new leadership council comprising government officials, opposition politicians and civil society representatives that will manage national peace efforts and put together an “effective” team of negotiators for possible talks with the Taliban insurgency. Addressing the inaugural meeting of what is
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 5, 2019 The U.S. envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban to end nearly 18 years of war in Afghanistan has arrived for talks in neighboring Pakistan. Zalmay Khalilzad met on April 5 with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who “reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to the peace process,” a
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 3, 2019 When the United States’ special representative for Afghan reconciliation arrived in Kabul this week amid ongoing peace talks with the Taliban, the country’s national-unity government was in disarray. Zalmay Khalilzad met with the leaders of the government, President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah,