Afghanistan: Taliban denies holding secret peace talks with Kabul
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 19 October 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghanistan: Taliban denies holding secret peace talks with Kabul, 19 October 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a12413.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
October 19, 2016
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has rejected reports of talks or meetings with the Afghan government (file photo).
A Taliban spokesman has rejected reports of secret meetings with the Afghan government.
On October 18, a senior Afghan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that two secret rounds of peace talks had been held in Qatar since early September.
Earlier, Britain's The Guardian newspaper reported that those attending the meetings included Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund, the brother of the late Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, and Afghanistan's intelligence chief Mohammad Massom Stanekzai.
Afghanistan's Tolo TV quoted a source from the Afghan president's office as saying Afghan National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar also attended.
But in an October 19 statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected any reports of talks or meetings with the Afghan government, saying, "Our stance about the negotiations has not changed."
The Taliban have long insisted on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan as a precondition for peace talks.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
