KABUL – The Taliban said Sunday they will send a delegation to Russia for arare meeting with Afghan opposition leaders, just days after peace talkswith the United States that excluded the Kabul government.
The two-day sit-down in Moscow, starting Tuesday, will be attended by someof President Ashraf Ghani’s chief political rivals, but none of thegovernment envoys tasked with Taliban negotiations.
Ghani has appealed to the insurgents to talk after being frozen out ofsix days of discussions between the Taliban and the United States in Dohalast month that sealed the outlines of a peace deal.
Instead the Taliban, which refuses to recognise Ghani’s government, willsit down in Moscow with some of the president’s main opponents to discussthe country’s future — stirring frustrations in Kabul.
“It shows the peak of depression, and begging to terrorists,” saidAmrullah Saleh, who is running as vice-president on Ghani’s ticket inelections slated for July.
“A smile to the enemy is a blow to the national spirit,” he posted on hisFacebook page on Sunday.
Among those, who have confirmed their attendance in Moscow, is HaneefAtmar, who is running against Ghani in the elections. Former warlord AttaMuhammad Noor and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai — both Ghani rivals– are also attending.
Noor on Sunday said the meeting was “a pathway towards strengthening thepeace efforts led by the US” while Atmar described it as “an important steptowards intra-Afghan peace talks”.
A government-appointed council tasked with Taliban engagement said Sundayit was not invited to Moscow.
A senior Taliban official told AFP they would send a delegation, butdescribed the meeting as non-political and “arranged by some organizationsbased in Moscow”.
The Russian Embassy in Kabul issued a statement late Saturday on behalf ofthe “Afghan Society of Russia”. The group said it had invited “influentialfigures” to the dialogue in the President Hotel in Moscow.
Read Top Stories
“We are ready to play our role in bringing peace to Afghanistan,” thestatement read.
It is not clear what role, if any, Russia has in the summit. A spokesmanfor the Russian Embassy in Kabul could not be reached for comment.
The Taliban are scheduled to hold another round of peace talks with the USin Doha on February 25.
The insurgents said discussions were “on the right path” — fuellingspeculation of a breakthrough in the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan.
US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad spoke of a “draft framework” for a dealbut warned major hurdles — including any US withdrawal — remain.
Ghani has refused to accept a “temporary” deal.
“Even if I have one drop of blood in my body, I am not going to surrenderto a temporary peace deal,” he told Afghan commandos in Kabul on Sunday.
“Our goal is to have a peace that comes with dignity.” – APP/AFP
