Peace talks between the United States and the Taliban have entered their final stage. Both sides have apparently reached an agreement in addition to working out mechanisms for its implementation. The only remaining thing is the announcement of the deal and its official signing ceremony. After concluding the ninth round of negotiations with the Taliban, the US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has reportedly arrived in Kabul to share details and consult with Afghan government about the final version of the agreement. Moreover, Khalilzad will also hold discussions with Afghan leaders on the formation of a negotiating team for intra-Afghan talks with the Taliban.
Now that the Taliban and Americans seem to have reached an agreement, the next phase is the initiation of intra-Afghan talks, which will be focused mainly to discuss a permanent ceasefire and future government structure. However, this phase of negotiations is expected to be more challenging and time-consuming because all Afghan political sides will be seeking to guarantee their political future in a potential peace deal. Although all sides and groups will be trying to secure something for themselves, the prerequisite for the stage is the appointment of an inclusive and acceptable negotiation team. The government says it has formed a 15-member team for talks with the Taliban, but has so far refused to announce it, raising questions about the inclusivity of the team.
Taking into account the fact that the talks are in crucial stage, all Afghan sides, including the government, need to avoid any attempts to scuttle the talks. The political actors who have been part of the mainstream Afghan politics and served under the current republic system over the last two decades should forsake disagreements and reservations, and agree up on a negotiating team that is capable of talking to the Taliban while also maintaining its unity. No doubt Afghan politicians have internal differences, but when it comes to national values, they have more commonalities than disagreements. They have to strengthen the common ground and bargain with the Taliban with one voice for protecting the achievements gained over the last two decades at the cost of countless sacrifices.
