Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government opened in Qatar on Saturday, marking what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heralded as a 'truly momentous' occasion in nearly two decades of gruelling conflict.
Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government opened in Qatar on Saturday, marking what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heralded as a"truly momentous" occasion in nearly two decades of gruelling conflict.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the opening session of the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.Highlighting the war's brutal toll, Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's former chief executive who is heading the peace process for Kabul, said 12,000 civilians have been killed and another 15,000 wounded since the US signed a withdrawal agreement with the Taliban on February 29.
The Taliban want to reshape Afghanistan into an Islamic"emirate", while the adminstration of President Ashraf Ghani will seek to maintain the Western-backed status quo of a constitutional republic that has enshrined many rights, including greater freedoms for women.Getty Images In the Afghan capital, residents were glued to their televisions watching the opening ceremony unfold.
"I don't believe the war will end that soon. I am sceptical about the talks because both sides want their full agenda and their system enforced," added the retired civil servant.
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