Background
The U.S.-backed government has held power in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001, although the Taliban control large swaths of the country and the government in Kabul is considered weak.
US-Taliban Deal (2020)
On February 29, 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in Doha, Qatar, officially titled the Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan. The provisions of the deal include the withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from Afghanistan, a Taliban pledge to prevent al-Qaeda from operating in areas under Taliban control, and talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The United States agreed to an initial reduction of its force level from 13,000 to 8,600 by July 2020, followed by a full withdrawal within 14 months if the Taliban kept its commitments. The United States also committed to closing five military bases within 135 days, and expressed its intent to end economic sanctions on the Taliban by August 27, 2020. The deal was supported by China, Russia and Pakistan, although it did not involve the government of Afghanistan
Afghan – Taliban Talks
Talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban began in Doha on September 12, 2020. The negotiations were set for March but were delayed over a prisoner exchange dispute. Mawlavi Abdul Hakim lead the negotiations for the Taliban, he is the group’s chief justice and a close confidant of Haibatullah Akhundzada. Abdullah Abdullah was one of the leading figures for the Afghan government negotiating team. The Afghan government team also comprises women’s rights activists.
After hectic negotiations, the Afghan government and Taliban have now agreed on rules and procedures for negotiations, overcoming a stalemate in months of talks aimed at ending 19 years of war. The December 2 announcement was considered a breakthrough because it advances talks beyond basic procedural questions to more substantive issues, including reaching an elusive cease-fire. The progress comes after months of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha. The two sides remain at war, and Taliban attacks on Afghan government forces have continued.
The current negotiations of both sides show that there is willingness among Afghans to reach a sustainable peace and both sides are committed to continue their sincere efforts to reach a sustainable peace in Afghanistan. A joint working committee was tasked to prepare the draft “topics for the agenda” of peace talks. The agreement is a step forward towards beginning the negotiations on the main issues, including a comprehensive cease-fire as the key demand of the Afghan people for a lasting peace.
How the peace process develops, and the pace of any further U.S. withdrawal, is expected to be determined after the incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden takes power in January.