Hopes for a breakthrough in a push to end Afghanistan’s grueling conflict yesterday suffered a major setback after a key summit between the Taliban and Afghan officials was indefinitely postponed.
The so-called intra-Afghan dialogue, due to take place in Doha this weekend, fell apart at the last minute in a row over the large number of delegates Kabul wanted to send.
The collapse came at a critical time and amid continued bloodshed.
Photo: Reuters / Presidential Palace / Handout
The Taliban now control or influence about half of Afghanistan, where the UN said 3,804 civilians were killed last year.
Washington, which is leading an effort to end the war, signaled its disappointment and urged both sides to return to the table, although organizers gave no hint about when the conference might be rescheduled.
Sultan Barakat, who heads the group that was to host the event, said in a statement that the postponement was “necessary to build further consensus as to who should participate.”
“Clearly the moment is not yet right,” said Barakat, the director of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies.
The administration of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday announced a list of 250 people from all walks of life, including government figures, who it wanted to send to Doha.
However, the Taliban poured scorn on the lengthy list, saying that the conference is “not an invitation to some wedding or other party at a hotel in Kabul.”
Although the insurgents insisted that they would only talk to Ghani’s government in a “personal capacity,” any contact between the two parties in Doha would have been hugely significant, especially at a time when Afghanistan is being ripped by fresh violence after the Taliban announced its annual spring offensive.
Kabul blamed the Qatari government for the summit’s derailment.
In a statement, the presidential palace said that Qatar had rejected the long list of delegates and suggested a shorter one, which was “not acceptable.”
On the Taliban side, the militants yesterday said that it was “not fair” that Ghani had wanted to send such a large delegation, and that “negotiations with the powerless Kabul administration is a waste of time.”
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