Taliban in a statement about the outcome of the United States election on Tuesday said they remain committed to the implementation of the agreement they signed with the US in February, calling it an “excellent document” to end the war in the country.
The group said that they emphasize to the new US administration that the withdrawal of “all US forces” from Afghanistan, avoiding interference in Afghan affairs and preventing the use of Afghanistan as a threat to the US is in the interest of Afghanistan and the US as well as the people of both countries.
The Taliban said the implementation of the US-Taliban agreement “is the most reasonable and effective tool for ending the conflict with the US,” referring to their fight against US forces.
“We remain committed to the agreement on our part and view it as a powerful basis for solving the Afghan issue and we also give preference to solving our internal problems through dialogue and negotiations,” the statement said.
The peace negotiations were inaugurated in September with the hope to end the four decades of war in the country. Negotiating teams representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban held more than 10 meetings in small set up called contact groups to discuss procedural rules for the talks.
The two sides have agreed on almost all articles of the ground rules for negotiations except two: the religious basis for the talks and the connection of the US-Taliban deal with the talks in Doha.
Peace negotiator Fawzia Koofi on Sunday said that they remain hopeful that the disputed points on procedural rules of the talks are removed within the next few days to resume the meetings between delegates from both sides of the negotiations.
But Second Vice President Sarwar Danesh on Monday blamed the Taliban for consistent delays and lack of process in the direct negotiations between negotiating teams of both sides in Doha.
The Taliban is “the main obstacle” for progress in the peace negotiations in Doha, Danesh said, adding that the Taliban does not believe in a peaceful solution to the war in the country.
Danesh said the new US administration should review the Afghan peace process and that there is a need for support to the process from all sides.
The statement by the Taliban comes amidst a sharp increase in their attacks on Afghan forces in many parts of the country. In a recent incident, they carried out a car bomb attack on the police headquarters of Almar district in the northern province of Faryab that killed at least four policemen, according to provincial governor Naqibullah Faiq.
