Afghan rivals to resume talks as killings sow discontent

Afghan government representatives and Taliban officials are due to resume their talks on Tuesday, officials said Monday, although battlefield clashes and targeted killings risk undermining efforts to end the war.

The talks began in Qatar in September months after the Taliban reached an agreement with the US allowing it to pull its troops out of Afghanistan and end its longest war in exchange for Taliban security guarantees.

The two sides got bogged down on procedures for weeks, but in December they reached an agreement on the process, clearing the way for them to get down to the issues when they resume their negotiations on Tuesday.

“Talks are a complicated process but the Afghan government and the negotiating team, with regard to the interest of the people of Afghanistan, are determined to take the process forward,” said Najia Anwari, a spokesperson for the Ministry for Peace Affairs.

But Afghan government officials have in recent weeks accused the Taliban of a string of high- profile murders, including of bureaucrats and journalists, and bomb attacks.

The Taliban have rejected some of the accusations but at the same time, the insurgents have made gains against government forces in fighting in various parts of the country.

The US has been scaling back its presence in Afghanistan nearly 20 years after it intervened with its allies to overthrow the Taliban in the weeks after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Afghan security officials expect the size of the US force to dwindle to about 2,500 troops early this year.