US National Security Adviser Robert OBrien in a phone call with President Ashraf Ghani called for a swift start of the intra-Afghan talks.
"NSA OBrien had a great phone call with President Ashraf Ghani today to discuss the need for intra-Afghan talks to start without delay. Reiterated US support for a sovereign, democratic, and unified Afghanistan that never again serves as a source of international terrorism," the NSA tweeted on Monday.
"The US stands with the Afghan security forces who have made tremendous sacrifices for the Afghan people," said OBrien.
Meanwhile, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Talibans chief negotiator, has called on Australia and France not to interfere in Afghanistans internal affairs.
Stanekzai called for the immediate release of Talibans prisoners held by the Afghan government.
According to sources, the main hurdle in the way of the release of the 320 detainees in govt custody is the decision over six of these inmates whose release has been questioned by foreign allies. Both France and Australia have asked the Afghan government not to release prisoners that killed their respective citizens serving in Afghanistan. Sources said the US also has attempted to stop the release of certain prisoners, but the US has not stated this publically.
Also, the Afghan government is demanding the release of 22 commando forces by the Taliban.
The government last month convened a Loya Jirga--a grand council--to release the 400 high-value Taliban prisoners. The Jirga approved their release and the president signed a decree on their release, but, so far, only 80 of them have been released.
According to government data, out of the 400 prisoners in question, 156 of them have been sentenced to death, 105 of them are accused of murder, 34 of them are accused of kidnapping that led to murder, 51 of them are accused of drug smuggling, 44 of them are on the blacklist of the Afghan government and its allies, six of them are accused of assorted other crimes, four are accused of unspecified crimes.
The talks between the Afghan factions and the Taliban were expected to begin 10 days after the Feb. 29 deal between the US and the Taliban, but it is dependent on the completion of a prisoner exchange by the Afghan government and the Taliban.
"They (Taliban inmates) might have killed a few soldiers, but the French and Australians have killed hundreds of Afghan citizens. This is only an excuse, we are very serious about our prisoners and call on the US to ensure the release of our prisoners as soon as possible," said Stanekzai.
"If each item of the Doha agreement takes five months each, then we will pass the five year government of Dr. Ghani and Dr. Abdullah, but we will not reach peace even then," said Waliullah Shaheen, a political activist.
"The peace process, the prisoner release and the release of Afghan government hostages were discussed. The two sides also stressed the need for a swift start of direct talks," said Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman to President Ashraf Ghani, referring to Ghanis talk with NSA O Brien.
Sources close to the Taliban have said that the Afghan government has released 104 of the 320 prisoners, however, neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban have so far confirmed the release.
A changing stance:
"The US National Security Adviser is very concerned about the Presidential Palace for wasting time in the peace process and for the Args monopolizing of the peace process," said Tariq Farhadi, former presidential adviser.
"The redlines are the governments redlines, they are not national redlines drawn on the basis of a national consensus. And this is a tactical approach-- not a strategic approach that could change the equation of peace and war in Afghanistan," said Tamim Asey, founder and executive chairman of the Institute of War and Peace Studies (IWPS).
Nevertheless, former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has also called for a swift start of the intra-talks.
He called on the warring factions to take bold steps to end the war in the country.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/19939
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