Afghan Government and Taliban Enter Peace Talks to End Civil War

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Also Attends Opening Ceremony... "It Depends on Your Choice"
Afghan Government 'Western Democracy' vs 'Taleban Islamic Sharia State'... Possibility of Prolonged Conflict

The Afghan government and the Taliban insurgents held an opening ceremony for the peace agreement on the 12th (local time) in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State (center), also attended the opening ceremony.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the anti-government Taliban began on the 12th (local time) in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

According to foreign media, a peace negotiation opening ceremony was held in Doha on the morning of the day, with representatives from the Afghan government, the Taliban, and Qatari government officials gathered. Doha is home to the Taliban's political office, which serves as its external liaison, and has previously hosted peace talks between the US and the Taliban.

The negotiations underway are regarded as a critical juncture for ending the civil war that has lasted over 20 years since 2001 and establishing peace in Afghanistan. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also attended the opening event, emphasizing, "The future political system depends on your choice," urging them to seize the opportunity to reach a peace agreement.

This is effectively the first peace negotiation between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Until now, the Taliban have disparaged the Afghan government as a puppet of the US and refused direct negotiations. The two sides held their first official talks since the civil war in July 2015 in Pakistan, but the talks broke down due to terrorism and the death of a Taliban leader.

It is known that the two sides have had several unofficial contacts around that time. The process leading up to this negotiation was also not smooth due to various issues. According to the US-Taliban peace agreement in February, the talks were scheduled for March, but issues such as prisoner exchanges surfaced, preventing progress.

The Afghan government delegation is led by Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the Afghan High Council for National Reconciliation, with 21 members, while the Taliban are represented by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

There is a prevailing expectation that the negotiations will face difficulties as the Afghan government and the Taliban fundamentally differ in their beliefs about the state system. The Taliban have long sought an Islamic state strictly adhering to Sharia law, whereas the government insists on actively adopting a Western democratic system. Baradar stated, "Afghanistan must accept the Islamic system," adding, "I hope Islam is not sacrificed for personal interests."

The Taliban, who once controlled over 95% of the territory, lost power after the US invasion following the 9/11 attacks, as they harbored Osama bin Laden and others. However, the Taliban still exert significant influence over more than half of Afghanistan's territory and effectively control it, raising the possibility of negotiations over governance power with the government. The US daily The New York Times pointed out, "There are gaps between the two sides on issues such as the form of power-sharing, women's rights, and the integration of Taliban members into government forces."

Local media report that the primary agenda in the initial negotiations is expected to be a ceasefire declaration. The US-Taliban peace agreement took over a year and a half to finalize after Alice Wells, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, began contact with the Taliban in Doha in July 2018.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.