By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal February 17, 2019 The Taliban has called off a planned round of peace talks in Pakistan, saying that most of the members of its negotiating team are unable to travel because they are subject to U.S. and UN sanctions. The statement was issued on February 17 — a day before the
VOA News February 9, 2019 The top U.S. negotiator in peace talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders says he hopes a peace agreement can be achieved before Afghanistan’s next set of elections just five months away. Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, spoke Friday to an audience at the United States Institute of Peace
Ayesha Tanzeem VOA News February 8, 2019 ISLAMABAD — When Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani laid out the red carpet in 2017 for controversial Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar — once known as “the Butcher of Kabul” for his role in the bloody conflict for the control of the capital in the 1990s — many thought he was
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 7, 2019 Taliban representatives and an Afghan delegation led by former President Hamid Karzai have said that after two days of negotiations in Russia they aim to continue their “intra-Afghan” dialogue in Qatar “as soon as possible.” Karzai led a delegation of about 40 Afghan politicians — although without representatives
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 31, 2019 A spokesman for the Taliban, which now reportedly controls nearly half of Afghanistan, has said that the group is not seeking to rule Afghanistan alone in any future government structure and wants to co-exist with current institutions, according to the Associated Press news agency. The statement by spokesman
Ron Synovitz Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 29, 2019 After six days of talks in Qatar with Taliban representatives, the U.S. special envoy on Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, announced on January 28 that an agreement had been reached on a “framework” peace process to end the 17-year Afghan war. Khalilzad said the agreement calls for the
Ayaz Gul VOA News January 28, 2019 ISLAMABAD — A top Russian diplomat is in Pakistan to discuss efforts to promote direct peace talks between warring sides in neighboring Afghanistan. Russian presidential envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov is visiting Islamabad after last week’s marathon talks between U.S. special representative for Afghan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and the
Ayesha Tanzeem VOA News January 25, 2019 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — As peace talks between the United States and Afghan Taliban enter a crucial stage, the Taliban leadership has announced a new chief negotiator, a man named Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. According to a statement issued Thursday night by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, the action is intended
By RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal January 25, 2019 A co-founder of the Afghan Taliban who was released from detention by Pakistan last year has been appointed as the leader of the militant group’s political office in Qatar. The move comes as the talks with the United States on a potential deal to bring an end to