Foreign Desk Report
NEW YORK: The United Nations’ Security Council unanimously backed recently signed peace deal between the United States and the Afghan Taliban.
A US resolution in the world body backed the step towards ending the war in Afghanistan and opening the door to intra-Afghan dialogue.
The resolution urged the Afghan government to advance the peace process, by participating in intra-Afghan negotiations through a diverse and inclusive negotiating team composed of Afghan political and civil society leaders, including women. The resolution also urged for women’s rights in the country.
The agreement is expected to lead to intra-Afghan talks in which all factions, including Taliban, would create a roadmap for the future of the country.
The agreement, which was signed February 29, is also aimed winding down US military presence in Afghanistan after 18 years of engagement in the country. It stipulates that all US troops would be withdrawn from the country within 14 months provided the Taliban uphold security commitments.
President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday announced that 1,500 Taliban prisoners would be released from jails this weekend in a move to smooth the way toward upcoming talks with Taliban. He had earlier rejected the measure proposed in the agreement. The release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners also conditioned with Taliban’s limiting its attacks.
A spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban on Wednesday termed the decree signed by President Ashraf Ghani to facilitate the release of some Taliban prisoners in Afghan jails as “conditional”, saying the release order went against the agreement signed between the militant group and the US last month.
Sediq Seddiqi, spokesperson for the Afghan president, said in a tweet that Ghani had signed the decree that would facilitate the release of some Taliban prisoners in accordance with an accepted framework for the start of negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government.
At least 1,000 Taliban prisoners are expected to be released this week, five official sources said earlier, paving the way for opening direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Seddiqi also hinted that Kabul would consider releasing 5,000 prisoners if the Taliban refrained from attacks on Afghan forces.
Responding to the announcement of the decree, Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban in Doha, told Reuters by phone that “it is properly explained in the peace accord that first 5,000 prisoners would be freed and then the Afghan dialogue would be initiated.
“We never agreed to any conditional release of the prisoners. If someone claims this, it will be against the peace accord that we signed on February 29,” he added.
The development comes almost two weeks after the Taliban and US signed a deal for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
