US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday to discuss suggestions for the resumption of peace talks with the Taliban.
US President Donald Trump abruptly called off the peace process with the Taliban in September, citing an attack in Kabul which killed an American soldier and 11 others including a Romanian soldier.
Trump told American troops at Bagram air base in his surprise visit to Afghanistan last week he had resumed peace talks with the Taliban and that the Taliban want a deal and also agree to a ceasefire.
“The Taliban wants to make a deal. We’ll see if they want to make a deal. It’s got to be a real deal, but we’ll see. But they want to make a deal. And they only want to make a deal because you’re doing a great job. That’s the only reason they want to make a deal,” he said. A statement says he will also travel Doha after his meetings in Kabul.
In Kabul, Khalilzad will meet with Afghan government representatives and other Afghan leaders to follow up on President Trump’s recent visit and to discuss how best to support accelerated efforts to get all parties to intra-Afghan negotiations, according to the statement also sent to Daily Times.
In Doha, the US envoy will rejoin talks with the Taliban to discuss steps that could lead to intra-Afghan negotiations and a peaceful settlement of the war, specifically a reduction in violence that leads to a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Khalilzad on Wednesday started meetings with Afghan leaders and met former deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai.
Hekmat Karzai, Chairman of the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies, said that he had a good meeting with Khalilzad to discuss the latest in peace efforts.
“We spoke about the way forward, which amongst other things must include reduction of violence and zero civilian casualties,” he tweeted.
The US and the Taliban political representatives had finalised a peace deal in August after holding nine rounds of talks started in Qatar in October 2019. However, Trump had stalled the process.
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shahhen in reaction to Trump’s announcement at Bagram told daily Times that “Americans had withdrawn from negotiations and it is also up to them to restart the process.”
Sources say Khalilzad held informal meetings with the Taliban political representatives in Qatar last month to discuss ways for the resumption of the stalled peace process.
A Taliban source says Khalilzad proposed a week-long ceasefire for trust building before resumption of the dialogue. The Taliban have not agreed to the proposal and insisted the US should first sign the peace agreement that will lead to withdrawal of foreign troops and the Taliban will guarantee Afghan soil is not used by anyone against the US, its allies and other countries.
The US currently has nearly 13000 troops and American officials have indicated the number could be reduced to 8600.
Last month Taliban freed an American and an Australian professor in exchange for the release of three Taliban leaders, including Anas Haqqani, brother of Taliban deputy chief Sirajuddin Haqqani. Taliban also released 10 Afghan soldiers. Anas, who was inducted in the political negotiation team this year, has joined the political team.
Trump had welcomed the prisoner swap deal and tweeted on Tuesday, “Let’s hope this leads to more good things on the peace front like a cease-fire that will help end this long war.”
Anas said on Wednesday in his first interview with nunn.asia website after his release that he will work for peace and that end to the invasion and war will be a priority for him.
He said Pakistan and Qatar played mediation in the prisoner swap agreement.
The US and Afghan government will free nearly 5000 Taliban prisoners under the peace deal and Taliban will also set free prisoners in their custody.