On 12 March, the US and Taliban finished their longest set of talks to date. After sixteen days of negotiating, the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation tweeted, ‘Peace requires agreement on four issues: counter-terrorism assurances, troop withdrawal, intra-Afghan dialogue, and a comprehensive ceasefire. We’re now “agreed in draft” on the first two.’ This is a positive development; previously they had only ‘agreed in principle’. The next step is for them to consult with decision-makers for approval of the draft agreement so that it can be finalised. This would pave the way for direct talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, to address remaining issues. However, these talks have not involved the government, so President Ashraf Ghani’s administration is feeling excluded and suspicious.
Afghanistan: costs of war and peace
Written by David Fletcher 22 Mar 2019Additional Info
- Pray: for fears of loss of power or prestige to be replaced with forgiveness and peace. (Matthew 5:44)
- More: www.ipcprayer.org/ipc-connections/item/11538-afghanistan-peace-deal-and-suicide-attempts-on-the-rise.html
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