An exchange between the two sides ... Kabul considers that the Doha agreement has achieved a ceasefire only with Washington, and the Taliban accuses the government of delaying negotiations.

The Afghan National Security Council said on Sunday that the ceasefire agreement between the Taliban and the United States achieved a ceasefire with Washington only, and did not meet the demands of the Afghan people, while the Taliban accused the Kabul government of causing delaying negotiations for more than 6 months.

In a statement marking the first anniversary of the Doha agreement between the Taliban and Washington, a spokesman for the Afghan National Security Council, Rahmatullah Ander, said that the agreement "achieved a ceasefire with Washington only, but it did not stop the Taliban's behavior."

"The relationship of the Taliban with the Afghan people is one of killing, looting and spreading fear," Andder added. "We do not find on our part in this agreement what reassures the people."

He stressed that the delay in the Afghan negotiations was due to the actions of the Taliban, adding that the talks are the most important part of this agreement.

Cable proposal

A source in the government delegation to the Afghan peace negotiations said that he submitted a proposal for a ceasefire between the government and the Taliban at a meeting between the two sides in the Qatari capital, Doha, two days ago, according to what was reported by the Al-Jazeera correspondent.

The source added that the government side is still waiting for the Taliban’s response to this proposal, but said that it does not hold much hope for the movement’s approval.

On the other hand, the Taliban accused the Afghan government of delaying peace negotiations in Doha by more than 6 months.

The movement added in a statement marking the first anniversary of the signing of the Doha Agreement that the agreement is "historic for the Afghan and American peoples," noting that it aims to end 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan.

The Taliban renewed their full commitment to implementing all the provisions of the Doha Agreement, coinciding with the first anniversary of the signing of the agreement, noting that despite some technical observations regarding the implementation of its provisions, it is still moving in a positive direction.

The movement demanded that Washington fully implement the agreement, release the rest of its detainees, and delete the names of its leaders from the blacklist. It also confirmed that any attempt to find an alternative to what was agreed upon in Doha will be doomed to failure.

Search for an excuse

In a related context, the head of the Taliban's political office, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, said that the Doha agreement is a guarantee for peace in Afghanistan.

He added that the recent bombings and the security tension in the country are "an attempt to give an excuse to keep foreign forces in the country."

Mullah Brader indicated that "recently there are parties targeting civilians, and want the situation to appear deteriorating, in order to give an excuse to keep foreign forces in Afghanistan."

It is noteworthy that the Taliban and the US government signed an agreement on February 29, 2020 in the Qatari capital, which provides for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan within 14 months. The agreement includes the abolition of US sanctions imposed on Taliban leaders, and an exchange of prisoners between the movement and the Kabul government.

Under the agreement, the Taliban pledge to prevent the use of Afghan lands by any individual or group against the security of the United States and its allies.

Doha negotiations

After the signing of the agreement, the Taliban and the Kabul government participated in negotiations in Doha that began in mid-September, in order to search for a political solution that would lead to an end to the war and the formation of a unified authority in the country. The other is by violating the terms of the agreement and causing the peace negotiations to falter.

Afghanistan has been suffering a war since 2001, when an international military coalition led by Washington overthrew the Taliban, due to its association at the time with al-Qaeda, which adopted the September 11 attacks of the same year in the United States.