Countdown to Taliban and US peace deal

THE COUNTDOWN to the signing of a peace agreement between the Taliban and the United States to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan was due to begin last night, a senior US State Department official said.

After the seven-day “reduction of violence” promised by the Taliban, the long sought-after peace agreement between the US and the Taliban will be signed on February 29 in Doha, Qatar, paving the way for a withdrawal of US troops and intra-Afghan negotiations, the official said.

The Taliban had set up and maintained a political office in Doha in recent years, following the 2001 US-led invasion that toppled their regime, which had harboured al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in Afghanistan.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the peace agreement will also lead to an eventual permanent ceasefire.

The deal also envisions guarantees from the Taliban that Afghanistan will not be used to attack the US or its allies.

It provides for the phased withdrawal of American and other foreign forces from the country over 18 months.

“We are preparing for the signing to take place on February 29,” Mr Pompeo said in a statement.

“Intra-Afghan negotiations will start soon thereafter, and will build on this fundamental step to deliver a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and the future political road map for Afghanistan.”

But the road ahead is fraught with difficulties.

“The only way to achieve a sustainable peace in Afghanistan is for Afghans to come together and agree on the way forward,” said Mr Pompeo in his statement.

It is still not clear who will represent Kabul at the negotiation table for the intra-Afghan talks.