Taliban to meet Afghan Opposition in Moscow

Taliban to meet Afghan Opposition in Moscow

News: Taliban would hold a meeting with Afghanistan’s opposition parties in Moscow, Russia this week.

Facts:

• The Taliban said that it will send a delegation to Russia for a meeting with Afghan Opposition leaders, just days after peace talks with the U.S. that excluded the Kabul government.
• The two-day meeting in Moscow, will be attended by some of President Ashraf Ghani’s chief political rivals, but excludes government envoys who are tasked with Taliban negotiations.

Taliban’s stand:

• A senior Taliban official described the meeting as non-political.
• Moscow had decided to exclude Afghan government officials to ensure the participation of the Taliban who refuse to hold talks with representatives of President Ashraf Ghani, branding them puppets of the United States.

Afghan government’s stand:

• Mr. Ghani has appealed to the insurgents to talk after being excluded from discussions between the Taliban and the U.S. in Doha last month that sealed the outlines of a peace deal.
• Senior Afghan government officials warned that talks this week between Taliban militants and opposition politicians betrayed the principles of democracy and Afghanistan’s best interests.