KABUL – The Taliban in Afghanistan have not yet shown any sign they areserious about ending their 17-year insurgency despite US efforts to push afresh peace process, the country’s de facto prime minister has said.
Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as “chief executive” of the unity governmentin Kabul, struck a far more sceptical tone about the prospects of a dealthan his political rival, President Ashraf Ghani, and his Westerncounterparts.
Ghani said earlier this month it was “not a question of if, but when” anagreement would be reached with the Taliban, while the US envoy to thecountry even raised the possibility of a breakthrough before presidentialelections in April.
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“Recently there are renewed efforts in terms of the international communityand especially the US,” Abdullah told AFP during a wide-ranging interviewin Paris that also covered his own political ambitions.
