Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • World
  • Mid-East
  • Europe
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Africa
  • Syrian Crisis
  • Islamophobia

Afghan peace talks resume as violence continues

by French Press Agency - AFP

KABUL Jan 03, 2021 - 3:33 pm GMT+3
Members of Afghan security forces stand at the site of an attack in Kabul, Dec. 20, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Members of Afghan security forces stand at the site of an attack in Kabul, Dec. 20, 2020. (AFP Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Jan 03, 2021 3:33 pm
RECOMMENDED
Worshippers wearing face masks make their first offerings inside the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a moment before the Lunar New Year, in Hong Kong, China, Jan. 21, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

Wuhan celebrates Year of the Rabbit as COVID-19 grief lingers

China

A string of assassinations has sowed fear and chaos across Afghanistan as a fresh round of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban begin in Qatar Tuesday.

Months of deliberations between the two sides have yielded little so far, but both parties made something of a breakthrough last year when they finally agreed on at least what to discuss in the next round.

Afghan government negotiators will push for a permanent cease-fire and to protect the existing system of governance, in place since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001 by a U.S.-led invasion in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"The talks are going to be very complicated and time-consuming," Ghulam Farooq Majroh, a government negotiator told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "But we are hopeful to arrive at a result as soon as possible as people are tired of this bloody war." The Taliban did not offer any comment.

The first direct talks between the warring sides opened in September after months of delays but quickly became bogged down by disputes on the basic framework of discussions and religious interpretations. A concerted diplomatic effort from Washington finally led to a consensus.

The negotiations follow a landmark troop withdrawal deal signed in February by the Taliban and Washington, which saw the U.S. pledge to pull out all foreign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021.

The talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have been marred by an increase in violence from the start, but a new trend is a wave of high-profile targeted killings of officials, activists and journalists.

The deputy governor for Kabul province, five journalists and a prominent election activist have been among those assassinated in Kabul and other cities since November. Officials blame the Taliban for the mayhem, although the Daesh terrorist group has claimed some of the assaults.

"The Taliban aim to divide the people and trigger criticism and frustration against the government's security institutions with these assassinations," Javid Faisal, an adviser to the National Security Council, told AFP. "But the killings are uniting people."

Nishank Motwani, deputy director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit think tank, said the Taliban would not formally claim responsibility for the political assassinations but nevertheless wanted to demonstrate "to its cadre that the Taliban are who they are and have not changed".

The Taliban carried out more than 18,000 attacks across the country in 2020, Afghanistan's spy chief Ahmad Zia Siraj told lawmakers this week. The first nine months of last year saw 2,177 civilians killed and 3,822 wounded, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Ordinary Afghans long for better security but hold little hope for an immediate improvement despite the talks. "We have no security at all in Kabul. For how long will we need to keep burying our loved ones?" said Jamshid Mohammad, a resident of Kabul.

RECOMMENDED
Worshippers wearing face masks make their first offerings inside the Wong Tai Sin Temple, a moment before the Lunar New Year, in Hong Kong, China, Jan. 21, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

Wuhan celebrates Year of the Rabbit as COVID-19 grief lingers

China
  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    afghanistan peace talks taliban united states
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A Turkish police officer stands guard in front of the closed Dutch Consulate in Istanbul, Türkiye, Feb. 1, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

    Türkiye angered over 'intentional' closure of foreign missions

    türkiye-eu-relations
    A Kangal dog and a lamb are seen in Elazığ, eastern Türkiye, Feb. 3, 2023. (IHA Photo)

    Turkish Kangal dog embraces role of mother to lamb

    KANGAL-DOG

    Over 200 flights cancelled in Istanbul due to expected snowstorm

    snowstorm

    'All of Ukraine will burn' due to US supplies: Russia's Medvedev

    Russian-invasion-of-Ukraine
    No Image
    Eclipse, fire and snow: Top pictures of the week
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021