Afghan rivals resume talks in Doha for peace

[ahlam1399]

DOHA: Dozens of powerful Afghans resumed talks with the Taliban on Monday in Doha, where a possible ceasefire is on the table along with key issues such as women’s rights. Stakes are high for the talks which follow a week of US-Taliban negotiations with both sides eyeing a resolution to the bloody 18-year conflict.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the Afghan gathering "has been a long time coming" and praised the country’s "government, civil society, women, and Taliban" for coming together.Washington has said it wants to seal a political deal with the Taliban ahead of Afghan presidential polls due in September to allow foreign forces to begin to withdraw.Around 70 delegates are attending the two-day gathering which has been organised by Germany and Qatar. "History will remember those who were able to set their differences aside for the sake of the country" said Germany envoy Markus Potzel as he opened the gathering Sunday.A German source confirmed the second day of talks got underway just before 0600 GMT. Delegate Asila Wardak, a member of the High Peace Council established by former president Hamid Karzai to engage with Taliban elements, said "everybody is emphasising a ceasefire" during Sunday’s session.The Taliban spoke about "women’s role, economic development, (and) the role of minorities" in a future settlement, she added.Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on Twitter that he looked "forward to a constructive dialogue". The so-called intra-Afghan meetings follow six days of direct US-Taliban talks that have been put on hold for the two day Afghan conference and are set to resume Tuesday, according to both sides. US lead negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad said Saturday that the latest round of US-Taliban talks "have been the most productive of the rounds we’ve had with the Taliban". The Taliban said they were "happy with progress".Sunday and Monday’s gathering is the third such meeting following landmark summits in Moscow in February and May.On Monday, a woman in skin-tight trousers passed the Taliban delegation as they waited to enter the cavernous ballroom of the luxury Doha hotel hosting key peace talks between rival Afghan parties.The sight of the young woman in heels brandishing a box of electrical equipment breezing past the turbaned delegates of the Islamic militant group neatly illustrated the depth of differences yet to be bridged. Women’s rights have proven particularly important as when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan, they imposed a rigid interpretation of Sharia Islamic law that set curbs on women’s dress, behaviour and rights. The beachfront hotel was noticeably quieter for the second day of talks, with one Afghan journalist describing the whole of Doha as a "ghost city". An eager lobby pianist played an eclectic song-book that veered from the possibly prescient Abba hit "Winner Takes it All" to Soviet rockstar Viktor Tsoi.The Taliban members, who wore minimal but immaculate robes and neatly trimmed beards, cut a far more modest image than the German and Qatari hosts. A security ring of steel was in place for the talks with the hotel’s customary suited African security officers replaced with an army of men in traditional thobe robes and earpieces. Taliban negotiator Abbas Stanikzai had a brief altercation with one guard as he attempted to enter the secure conference area. "We want to go to the dialogue but they are not letting us," Stanikzai said to an officer, who replied: "We are not joking with you, stop shouting at us." Prominent Afghan figures including journalists, activists and politicians huddled in the angular lobby’s plethora of corners and cubbies alongside guests -- some inthe niqab Islamic face-covering worn by some women, others in beachwear."I’ve been to Afghanistan so I don’t really mind it," said one guest in shorts, sandals and a t-shirt who said he was unaware the hotel was being used for talks between Afghan figures and the Taliban."The Qataris are moderates in this region and if they bring the Afghans together then that’s a good thing." The German co-hosts, including an official with a man-bun hairstyle, looked nervous as media covering the forum’s opening photographed and filmed the delegates who sat silently and impassively.They were arranged in a vast semi-circle under an octagonal chandelier at desks bearing name plates -- but not their affiliation. The invitees were there in a "personal capacity", circumventing the Taliban’s refusal to negotiate with the Kabul government.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/com/cwEr/~4/u3THqrXx8tE

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