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Hopes for a breakthrough in peace negotiations in Afghanistan fell sharply on Friday (April 19th) after the sine die and at the last minute of a meeting between Taliban and Afghan government officials.
The two sides failed to agree on the number of delegates that Kabul wanted to invite to the event, initially scheduled for this weekend in Qatar. " This regrettable report is necessary to reach a consensus on who should attend the conference, " said Sultan Barakat of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, who was organizing the meeting.
The administration of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made public Tuesday a list of 250 delegates, including government officials he intended to send to participate in this meeting, scheduled in Doha from Saturday until April 21. The Taliban immediately mocked this initiative. The conference " is not an invitation to a wedding or other party in a hotel in Kabul, " their spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.
Kabul bears " the responsibility " for the failure of Doha, the rebels insisted Friday in a statement. " Negotiations with the impotent Kabul administration are a waste of time. The Afghan authorities have blamed the meeting's failure on the Qatari government. According to a presidency statement, Doha rejected the list of 250 delegates and suggested that a shorter one be established, which Kabul describes as " unacceptable ".
" It is clear that the right time has not come " for holding such a meeting despite the " tireless and well-intentioned efforts" made by both parties, the Center of Conflict and Humanitarian Studies said in a statement. The US envoy for peace talks in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, said he was " disappointed with the postponement " of the meeting, with the United States pushing for an " inter-Afghan dialogue ". .
(with AFP)