Afghan authorities say they have delayed the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, throwing a precarious peace process into deeper crisis.
U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Afghan leaders to end their standoff over a disputed presidential election and seize a “historic opportunity” for peace.
Afghanistan's incumbent president and his main political challenger have both sworn themselves in as president.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Washington is for a "unified and sovereign Afghanistan" and opposes "any action to establish a parallel government," hours after the country's president and his main election rival held dual and competing inauguration ceremonies on March 9.
Both Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, have declared themselves president in competing ceremonies held in Kabul on March 9.
Both Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah, were preparing to declare themselves president in parallel ceremonies in Kabul slated for March 9.
The Taliban says talks scheduled this week with Afghanistan’s government are unlikely to take place on time because of plans by two rivals for the Afghan presidency to conduct parallel swearing-in ceremonies.
The Taliban says its peace pact with the United States does not alter the status of the insurgent group’s supreme leader as the “lawful ruler” of Afghanistan, saying he is duty-bound by religion to establish an “Islamic government” after foreign “occupation” troops exit the country.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has questioned a key component of an agreement between the United States and the Taliban aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan.
The imminent peace deal between the United States and Taliban this week is expected to be followed by negotiations between the hard-line Islamist movement and the Western-backed Afghan government.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has postponed his inauguration for his second term until March 9, amid a bitter dispute with his main election rival.
The U.S. State Department has urged that disputes over Afghanistan's recent presidential election be dealt with using constitutional and legal means and without the "use or threat of violence."
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