Afghan officials primed for talks with Taliban after deal on prisoners

Afghan negotiators and senior officers will fly to Doha for peace talks with the Taliban after the 2 facets reached a compromise over the discharge of prisoners, diplomatic and govt resources stated.

All however seven of the five,000 prisoners whose liberate the Taliban had demanded as a precondition for negotiations had been freed, 4 govt and diplomatic resources informed Reuters.

Nationwide safety consultant spokesman Javid Faisal showed that every one however “a small quantity” of the rest Taliban prisoners were launched, in go back for the rebel crew liberating safety drive participants in step with the federal government’s calls for.

“Diplomatic efforts are ongoing,” he stated in a tweet, regarding the general few prisoners who world companions objected to freeing. “We predict direct talks to begin promptly.”

The Taliban didn’t reply to a request for remark.

It was once now not straight away transparent when the talks would get started.

A central authority supply stated they may start once Saturday, however a 2d supply therefore stated that preliminary plans for the federal government delegation to fly to Doha on Thursday were postponed.

“The approaching days will confidently carry the formal release of intra-Afghan negotiations,” U.N. Afghanistan envoy Deborah Lyons informed the U.N. Safety Council on Thursday. “That is actually a historical second … However let’s be transparent: This will probably be an extended and difficult procedure.”

Impasse over the Taliban prisoners had stalled the United States-brokered negotiations for months.

The discharge of the general batch of 400, who the federal government blamed for one of the crucial worst violence dedicated within the nation, has been debated for weeks.

They integrated the small quantity whose liberate was once objected to by way of Western powers because of their involvement in assaults on international forces.

5 resources informed Reuters the plan was once for seven final prisoners to be transferred to Doha, the place they might be saved underneath supervision.

The seven have been participants of the Afghan Nationwide Safety Forces arrested on fees of attacking troops they have been stationed with, an Afghan legit stated, marking them as sympathisers with or covert participants of the Taliban.

Washington has been seeking to dealer peace talks to finish 19 years of battle since signing a troop withdrawal handle the Taliban in February.