The Guardian: Resumption of Secret Negotiations Between the Taliban and the Afghan Government in Qatar

The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the Taliban and representatives of the Afghan government have begun secret negotiations in Qatar since September. This report, published on Tuesday, October 19, cites senior officials from both the Afghan government and the Taliban without naming them, stating that Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund, the brother of the late Taliban leader Mullah Omar, has represented the group in these talks. The Guardian writes that negotiations have taken place twice so far, in September and October, and it is expected that Mohammad Yaqoob, the son of Mullah Omar and the current deputy leader of the Taliban, will soon join the negotiating team. This marks the first negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government since the killing of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the former Taliban leader, in a U.S. drone strike, whereas previous negotiations were mediated by Pakistan. The report cites a member of the Taliban leadership council stating that no Pakistani officials are present in these negotiations. According to him, Islamabad has lost its traditional influence over the Taliban, which it had since the mid-1990s. However, this news source also mentioned that a senior American diplomat was present at these negotiations, although the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan has not confirmed this. The Guardian then quotes this Taliban official stating that the September negotiations were conducted in a positive atmosphere, with frank discussions between Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund and Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, the head of Afghanistan's National Security Council. The second round of negotiations also took place in early October despite ongoing clashes between the Taliban and Afghan government forces. The Taliban has regained some power over the past two years, conducting multiple attacks in Kabul and capturing parts of Afghanistan, which has been unprecedented since the U.S. invasion in 2001.