Shadi Khan Saif
09 July 2019•Update: 09 July 2019
KABUL, Afghanistan
The U.S. and Taliban are set to resume seventh round of talks in Doha on Tuesday, as a landmark intra-Afghan dialogue in the Qatari capital failed to produce a much-awaited cease-fire in Afghanistan.
Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington's top man for the reconciliation mission, expressed satisfaction over the two-day moot in Doha that saw an array of Afghan politicians, civil society activists and officials meeting in personal capacity with the Taliban representative for peace dialogue.
"I congratulate the participants - Afghan society representatives across generations, senior govt officials, Taliban - for finding common ground", he tweeted early on Tuesday.
After long hours of rather intense and emotional exchange of views on the second and last day of the moot on Monday, the dialogue came up with a resolution calling for unity, continuation of talks for peace and confidence building among others, but a much-awaited agreement on cease-fire could not be reached for now.
It said the following steps should be taken to build a trusted environment for peace and keep the nation safe from the war and its consequences.
(A) - Unconditional release of elder, disabled and ill inmates.
(B) - Ensuring the safety of public institutions including schools, madrassas, hospitals, markets, water dams, and workplaces.
(C) - Respect educational institutions.
(D) - Respect and protect the dignity of the people, their life and property and minimize civilian casualties to zero. Assuring that women’s rights are ensured in political, social, economic, educational and cultural areas within the framework of Islamic values. Agreeing on a roadmap for peace based on the following conditions: Institutionalizing Islamic system in the country. Start of the peace process simultaneously with the accomplishment of all terms and conditions set forth. Monitoring and observation of the peace agreement. Required reforms and support of basic institutions, defense and other institutions which belong to Afghans. Repatriation of migrants and return of internally displaced persons. Support and assistance from donor countries for peace agreement based on the new cooperation and relations. Insist during international conferences regarding the assurance of Afghanistan’s peace agreement. Assurance on zero interference from neighboring and regional countries in Afghanistan’s affairs.
It also urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the UN, EU and Afghanistan’s neighboring countries to approve and support the joint resolution of the Intra-Afghan Dialogue Conference on Peace in Doha.
Meanwhile, Nader Nadery, chairman of Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission and senior advisor to President Ashraf Ghani, also lamented the fact that the moot failed to reach an agreement over truce.
"Except the TB (Taliban), the majority of d [the] parti. [participants] emphasized their support for keeping the constitutional Republic. We reached some common ground, partially reflected n [and] final declaration.TB did not positively response to d [the] calls for immediate ceasefire", he tweeted.
This came amid escalating fighting across Afghanistan as an evident bid for upper hand ahead of a proposed peace deal.
The U.S. and Taliban would resume talks in Doha on Tuesday.
