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Taliban would not hesitate to kill entire gov’t negotiating team: Saleh
Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Sunday blamed the Taliban for the attack on peace negotiator Fawzia Koofi.
Koofi and her sister came under attack by unknown armed men on Friday afternoon on the Kabul-Parwan highway in Qarabagh district of Kabul.
She escaped unharmed in the attack but she sustained minor injuries and was said to be in good health condition.
Saleh called the attack an “anti-human and a terrorist” act which he said was coordinated by the Taliban, adding that the group would kill the entire negotiating team if it could.
In a message on his Facebook page, Saleh wrote, “Only the Taliban and their followers seek their interest in eliminating the voice of diversity from Afghanistan. If the group got the chance they would not hesitate to kill the entire peace negotiators and the Taliban would kill them all in a suicide attack.”
It comes as the intra-Afghan talks, aimed to find a political settled to end the long-term conflict in the war-weary country, is expected to kick start after the Afghan government completes the release process of the final batch of Taliban inmates.
Mohammad Mohaqqeq, leader of Hezbe Wahdat-e Islami party said” “There are two motivations to bring peace in Afghanistan. First, the strong will of the Afghans, and secondly, the foreigners. This process, at least, will last two until three months.”
Meanwhile, the government announced its full preparations to kick off the negotiations.
“There is no complexity from our side, and we are ready to start the negotiations at any time, “said Nader Naderi, a peace negotiator.
The Taliban, on the other hand, underline that the Afghan government hasn’t done any fundamental work, and even the prisoner release has been delayed for several reasons which create an atmosphere of mistrust.
It comes as the Taliban on Saturday urged all laterals involved in peace process to avoid remarks that could damage the process.
“Peace talks and negotiations require all sides to display sincerity and truthfulness. Propaganda, unwarranted remarks and provocative comments do not benefit any side,” the group said in a statement.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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