US Talks with Taliban Questions Afghan Government’s Legitimacy
US direct talks with the Taliban group give them more spirit and strengthen this belief among them that the government of Afghanistan has no political and legal legitimacy.
US president Donald Trump has ordered his diplomats to hold direct talks with the Taliban group, an American Newspaper has recently reported citing the country’s officials as saying.
Although the general commander of NATO and American forces in Afghanistan General John Nicholson rejected Washington’s direct talks with Taliban in a statement, Taliban has repeatedly refused Afghan government’s suggestion for negotiations and peace, saying we only negotiate with the United States of America. Bu the US government rejected the Taliban suggestion and called on the group to negotiate with the Afghan government.
The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced during a press conference with president Ghani in Kabul that America can enter talks with Taliban to end the war in Afghanistan. Then, the NATO general commander vowed that the statements of Pompeo have been mischaracterized.
Both the US secretary of state and president Ghani said the US strategy for South Asia is effective for stability in Kabul and the region. Although, president Ghani and Pompeo accentuated that the White House strategy has been effective, but some military analysts in Afghanistan and America say the new strategy has not enough pressure on Pakistan and so it is failed.
The International community particularly the USA emphasize that they believe in Afghan-owned negotiations as the peace issue with the Taliban escalated this year, comparing to the past. Undoubtedly, the US direct talk with Taliban will challenge the role of the Afghan government in negotiating peace with the Taliban. At the same time, questions the legitimacy of the Afghan government.
Earlier, the countries sponsoring Afghanistan said that the government of Afghanistan has a prominent role in negotiations with Taliban and the Afghans should lead the peace issue with the group.
This week, president Ghani said during a press conference in ARG that the current government can enter a ceasefire with the Taliban group which it indicates that grounds can be provided for peace in Afghanistan.
US direct talks with the Taliban group give them more spirit and strengthen this belief among them that the government of Afghanistan has no political and legal legitimacy, and that this group can directly talk with America.
However, president Ghani should maintain the role of Afghanistan in peace talks with the Taliban. He should not allow Kabul allies to enter talks with armed oppositions.
Answering the question of a journalist, president Ghani said: “the price of peace is not clear yet.” Maybe the price of peace is that the US should negotiate with the Taliban in absentia of the Afghan government.
The direct talks with Taliban can have this negative message that the US government give the Taliban scores in lack of coordination with the Afghan government. Because there is no doubt that the Taliban would not give up a war without asking for privileges.
On the other hand, Taliban group will not enter talks with the Afghan government, because the group does not recognize the government and knows the government does not have the necessary qualifications on the details of the agreement with them.
Akhtar Suhail – (DID) press agency
Translated by Zaher Mahjob
