As intra-Afghan peace negotiations continue in Qatar, the Afghan government has offered a power-sharing deal to the Taliban to end the ongoing violence in the country, according to top government sources. The development comes as Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, was captured by the Taliban on Thursday after violent clashes with the Afghan security forces.
Al Jazeera quoted a government official saying that the proposal was presented to the Qatari government. The AFP also quoted a government negotiator saying, “Yes, the government has submitted a proposal to Qatar as mediator. The proposal allows the Taliban to share power in return for a halt in violence in the country.” However, there has been no official confirmation regarding this from the government in Kabul.
The proposal came after the Chairperson of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, met with representatives from Russia, the United States (US), China, and Pakistan for the extended-Troika meet on Wednesday.
The Afghan Foreign Affairs Ministry stated, “The Chairman called on the international community, especially the Troika meeting member states, to adopt serious measures to prevent Taliban attacks, which have led to war crimes, widespread human rights abuses and humanitarian catastrophe.”
He also warned of the regional and global repercussions of the rising influence of international terrorists in Afghanistan. Following the meeting, Abdullah said, “We have presented our scheme to the host nation, and you will also be provided with one.” However, he did not give any details about the offer to the Taliban.
Meanwhile, the international community was forced into taking drastic measures as the Taliban successfully captured Kandahar, the group’s birthplace, late on Thursday. Afghan troops were also forced out of Herat, giving the Taliban control over the Herat International Airport. Consequently, the Afghan security forces had to be airlifted and evacuated.
In response, the US and the United Kingdom (UK) have called back their envoys. The US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, “This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not a wholesale withdrawal.” However, he added that the US authorities are “further reducing [their] civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation.” The American government will deploy over 3,000 troops for the evacuation.
Likewise, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the UK government would send 600 troops to bring back its nationals and “support the relocation of former Afghan staff who risked their lives serving alongside us.”
Canada will also “work alongside its allies” to “aid in the partial evacuation” of its embassies. CNBC quoted government spokesperson Ciara Trudeau as saying, “The security of the Canadian Embassy and the safety of our personnel in Kabul is our top priority. For security reasons, we do not comment on specific operational matters of our missions abroad.”
The Taliban has been making significant territorial gains since the withdrawal of US and NATO troops. This week alone, the armed group captured 12 provincial capitals, including Ghazni, merely 150 kilometres from Kabul. The Taliban has been inching closer to Kabul, the country’s capital, which houses several embassies and foreign diplomats.