Envoy to UAE: rotate Afghan talks as Taliban ‘too comfortable’ in Doha

The group not pushed hard enough to reduce violence during their talks with the Afghan government in Qatar

Afghanistan's Islamic scholars, educationists, politicians and intellectuals gather to discuss the aftermath of a proposal by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to accelerate the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban, in Jalalabad, on March 13, 2021. EPA.

Stalled Afghan peace talks in Qatar should be rotated to other venues, Afghanistan's ambassador to the UAE said on Monday, indicating the Qatari hosts had not pushed hard enough for the Taliban to reduce violence.

Talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have been held in Qatar since last year, after the US agreed to withdraw its troops. But violence has increased and the government accuses the militants of failing to meet obligations to reduce attacks.

Afghanistan's ambassador to the UAE, Javid Ahmad, said peace talks should not be held in one location, but rotate among venues in Europe, Asia, the Middle East or Afghanistan itself.

He later told Reuters his comments reflected his personal view and not that of the Afghan government.

The Taliban, which opened an office in Qatar in 2013, were too "comfortable" there, he said.

"We want the Taliban to get out of their comfort zone.”

"The Qataris could have used its role as a host to play a more active and decisive role in pushing the Taliban to reduce violence or declare a ceasefire," Mr Ahmad said.

“They have not properly used their leverage, as a host to the Taliban ... to push the group's leaders to declare a ceasefire or to visibly reduce violence."

Qatar's government communications office said Doha was committed to supporting Afghans by hosting the talks, and would like to see a reduction in violence leading "to continued peace and security in the country".

"The fact that representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban are still at the table shows that the negotiations are working," it said.

Russia will hold a conference on Afghanistan this week, while Turkey hosts talks next month as the United States seeks to shake-up the process, proposing an interim administration.

Ashraf Ghani, a former professor and World Bank employee, was declared President this week after disputed results dragged out the final election outcome for months. He narrowly secured his win in the contested race by garnering 50.6 per cent of the disputed vote. He will serve five more years as President. After being excluded from last year’s failed US-Taliban peace negotiations, the Pashtun politician demanded to play a bigger role in this year’s talks. But at the behest of the Taliban he was not invited to participate in the discussions. The reasons for his exclusion are two-fold, first, the Taliban does not recognise the legitimacy of the Afghan government. Second, the Taliban’s priority in the negotiations is the removal of foreign forces from the country, which can only be promised by American negotiators. As a result, Mr Ghani remains sceptical of the deal’s success. Being one step removed from the process, and having few other options available to him, Mr Ghani finds himself in a position where he must acquiesce to the final deal without providing much input into the terms. Mr Ghani's position is shaky going into the proposed intra-Afghan negotiations as both the Taliban and Mr Ghani's opponent Abdullah Abdullah are refusing to accept his presidential win. Photo: EPA

Mr Ahmad said Afghanistan's "participatory government" had "the capacity to absorb the Taliban and ex-combatants" but that the only way to achieve a transition of power was through elections.

The Taliban have said they are committed to the peace negotiations.

The State Department said on Monday that US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad planned to attend the Thursday's conference in Moscow.

The decision to send Mr Khalilzad signals that the administration of President Joe Biden and Russia, which favour the creation of an interim government, may co-operate on ending the strife in Afghanistan despite their disagreements on other issues.

Former President Donald Trump’s administration signed a troop withdrawal deal with the Taliban in February 2020 under which all international forces were expected to leave the country by May 1.

Nato officials say some conditions of the deal, including the Taliban cutting ties with international militant groups, have not been met. But the Taliban denies the claim.