KABUL (SW) – Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for the President, on Sunday blamed the Taliban for impediments in the peace process and ongoing surge in violence in the country.
He said peace would only prevail in the country if the Taliban end killing of Afghans, announce a ceasefire and engage in direct talks with the government. He added the Afghan government is determined to collaborate with the U.S. and other allies for sustainable peace in the country.
This comes as the U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he had called off peace talks with the Taliban over a recent deadly bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul.
Analysts believe fierce opposition within the U.S. forced President Trump to scrap the agreement.
Aasif Ashna, an analyst, said Donald Trump used the Afghan peace process for his election campaign, but the growing opposition towards it within the U.S. forced him to step back. He added the killing of a U.S. service member in Afghanistan only proved a catalyst in the backdrop of growing internal opposition towards this agreement within the U.S.
Mohammad Haidari, an expert on political affairs, added that the peace deal was dubious right from the start. He added the U.S. has paid immense sacrifices in the past 18 years in Afghanistan, and the proposed peace agreement was risking all gains made with those sacrifices.
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