Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: The world watches in awe as Afghanistan is hewing closer to an end to violence with an outstanding euphoria surrounding a seven-day ‘reduction in violence’ between the US and the Taliban that raised hopes over prospects of peace.
After years of violence, Afghanistan is in the turning point of another journey. Nearly 25 years ago, Afghanistan jihadis and warlords signed a treaty for power sharing and end of fighting after the ouster of the former Soviet Union. Leaders had gathered in Pakistan in 1993 and then put their seal on an agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Now that a peace deal is about to be signed between the United States and the Taliban after 18 years of war, there is a mixed feeling of pessimism and mistrust amongst the nation. There is an overriding uncertainty among Afghans as to what extent the United States will monitor the peace process.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week on Friday said that the deal between the United States and the Taliban – about which the two sides have agreed after more than 10 rounds of talks with chief US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad – will be signed on February 29.
“The United States and the Taliban have been engaged in extensive talks to facilitate a political settlement to end the war in Afghanistan, reduce United States and Allied Forces presence, and ensure that no terrorist group ever uses Afghan soil to threaten the United States or our allies,” Pompeo said in the statement.
