Criticism of Kabul’s Boycott of Moscow conference

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The one-day international peace conference for Afghanistan, the Kabul government sent no representatives. An error, say Afghan observers.

In February of this year, President Ashraf Ghani had made a peace offer to the Taliban, the group could even be considered a political party recognised, he said. Despite criticism of his approach, because from a Position of weakness as a result, renewed his offer in July. He offered a ceasefire without conditions, followed by a clergy Meeting, at which the violence of the rebels as un-Islamic, was sentenced. The Taliban, for their part, wanted to but only a three-day ceasefire.

In contrast to these apparent efforts at dialogue, the absence of government representatives from Kabul in the one-day international conference on Afghanistan, held today in Moscow under the chairmanship of foreign Minister Lavrov. The Taliban had, in turn, sent representatives to the conference to exchange “views on the possible ways of a peaceful solution.” The conference was originally for the 4. Scheduled for September. At that time it was called by the Kabul government, you need more time to prepare.

President Ashraf Ghani varies between offer and refusal of conversations

“Kabul has the participation of Afghans behind shoots”

From informed sources in Kabul, it is said, however, that the government of Ghani have any participation of prominent Afghan politicians in today’s conference in Moscow, has been active behind the shoots. This is a former Taliban official, Wahiod Muzdah claims anyway, compared to the DW. The Russian Embassy in Kabul have been withdrawn at the request of the local government invitation letter to the various Afghan politician and Ex-President Karzai – which, in turn, is disputed by the Kabul and Karzai’s spokesman.

In the end, the high peace Council, an independent body set up to lead on behalf of the government talks with the Taliban, took part alone, from the Afghan side of the Moscow Meeting. Of the United States, only a representative of the American Embassy in Moscow as an observer was not present.

“Washington does not want Russia to play a greater role in the Afghan peace process,” said Khalid Sadat, a political scientist at the University of Kabul, in front of the DW. “Washington relies on its special envoy for Afghanistan, Salmai Khalilsad, and that these successes can be achieved.” However, its recent talks with the Taliban have brought representatives in Qatar, as well as with Pakistani and Afghan representatives, no progress.

NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg in Kabul: “the Taliban must be useless view of your further struggle”

“In Kabul, politics prolonged the war”

“Any peace initiative, in whatever country taken, must accept the leadership and responsibility of Afghanistan in the peace process,” said Afghan foreign Ministry spokesman Sebgatullah Ahmadi, compared with the DW to the justification for the absence of the government at the Moscow conference. The Taliban, for their part, insist on their Position that they were only to hold talks with Kabul ready, if and after the NATO has set a date for the withdrawal of all its forces from Afghanistan.

The expert Sadat holds in any case, the decision of Kabul, to stop the Moscow conference is a mistake. The undermining of peace initiatives like this one in Moscow would only prolong the war in Afghanistan. “As a country that desperately needs peace, we should not allow opportunities for dialogue with the Taliban to pass”, says Sadat to the DW. “The more time passes, the greater the price, the people and the government for peace have to pay.”