The Afghan peace process, characterised by starts and stops for the good part of the last couple of years, seems to have hit yet another wall as the Taliban broke off talks with the government on Tuesday over some dispute about exchanging prisoners. This issue has been a persistent problem. First President Ghani simply refused to accept such an agreement, primarily because the Americans decided it with the Taliban all on their own; without so much as consulting the legitimate government in Kabul. Then, he agreed to release 100 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 50 government fighters in captivity. But now the government seems to be dragging its feet about the matter, with the result that both parties are accusing each other of sabotaging the whole peace process. One of the biggest reasons for the delay in proceedings is the paralysis at the heart of the Afghan government. There was some manner of symbolic support for Ghani from Abdullah Abdullah recently when both agreed about who would represent the government in the talks. But Abdullah continues to dispute the recent election result and considers himself the real president. So much so that he had himself sworn in just for good measure. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Kabul last month, despite the coronavirus threat, to help break the ice and move the prisoner exchange process forward, since it is crucial for talks between the government and the Taliban, but had to return disappointed. He even slashed $1 billion from Afghan aid out of pure frustration. Needless to say, the need for wrapping up this long, ugly war cannot be stressed enough. Surely everybody, especially in Afghanistan, can see how ISIS is exploiting this state of confusion to its advantage. Both the government and the Taliban now need to show their commitment to the Afghan people, who have suffered endlessly from war and famine, by coming to a power-sharing agreement immediately and fighting off ISIS together. The entire region, especially Pakistan, has played a part in nudging matters along. Of course it will also help with nation building and fighting ISIS once the peace process is completed. It is, at the end of the day, up to the Afghans themselves to find a way out of constant fighting and bloodshed. A lot of work has gone into bringing this peace process where it is today. If it unravels now, the world might not be able to give it the priority that it did before. *