Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States sat down to talks on Monday aimed at laying the ground for a negotiated end to almost 15 years of war between US-supported government forces and Taliban insurgents now firmly on the offensive. Taliban forces have stepped up their campaign in the last year to topple the Kabul government, which has struggled since most foreign troops left at the end of 2014. High-profile suicide attacks and Taliban territorial gains in Helmand province have underlined how far Afghanistan remains from peace.
The Taliban, who now control or contest more territory than at any time since they was ousted by a US-led intervention in 2001, did not attend the talks. The four nations in a statement after the meeting in Kabul called on "all Taliban groups to enter into early talks with the Afghan government to resolve all differences politically."
The next round of talks will be on February 6 in Islamabad. The ultimate goal of the diplomatic manoeuvring is to get representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban into direct negotiations. The first formal peace talks with the Taliban since the start of the war in 2001 collapsed last year after it was announced its founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years, throwing the militant group into disarray. The Taliban remain split on whether to participate in talks.
Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani said earlier on Monday the public would not accept an open-ended process without results and warned the Taliban not to delay joining talks any further. "The talks are strategically important for everyone involved, but are unlikely to go anywhere right now," said S. Chandrasekharan, director of the South Asia Analysis Group. "The Taliban are making gains and the army is on the defensive. Until there is a stalemate, the talks are unlikely to succeed."
Although the Afghan army and the Taliban are intensifying fighting on the battlefield, a political settlement is seen as the most likely solution to the conflict. A statement on a Taliban website on Saturday did not rule out joining talks but rejected US involvement, saying the country was to blame for a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of Afghans.
"On the other hand, they take the first row among peace negotiators," the statement said. According to a press release, the second meeting of the Quadrilateral Co-ordination Group (QCG) of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United States and China on the Afghan peace and reconciliation process was held in Kabul on Monday, The delegations were led by Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, the US Ambassador to Afghanistan Michael McKinley and China's Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Deng Xijun.
Taking note of the joint statement of January 11, 2016 and building on the outcome of the first meeting of the QCG, the group discussed and made progress on a roadmap towards initiating peace talks with Taliban groups that reflects the shared commitments of the QCG member countries. The roadmap aims to set specific measures that are necessary for creating a conducive environment for the commencement of Afghan led, Afghan owned peace talks between representatives of the government of Afghanistan and representatives of Taliban groups aimed at reduction of violence and establishing lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region.
To this end, the QCG called on all Taliban groups to enter into early talks with the Afghan government to resolve all differences politically in accordance with the will and aspirations of the entire Afghan nation and the desire and support of the QCG member countries for lasting peace in Afghanistan.
The participants of the QCG once again emphasised the need for an end to the senseless violence against the Afghan people. The QCG countries agree that all forms of terrorism presents a grave threat to countries, the region and the world. The members indicated their commitment to a robust effort to eliminate all forms of terrorist groups, regardless of their national origin, operating in their respective territories. The QCG member countries agreed that friendly, mutually respectful and co-operative relations between the member states of QCG are necessary to create an enabling environment for the peace process in Afghanistan, which will help ensure the security, stability, prosperity, and interests of the region. The QCG agreed to continue regular meetings to advance the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. The group will hold its next meeting on February 6, 2016 in Islamabad.