On Monday, a new round of high-level talks between the US and the Taliban is starting in Doha, Qatar. US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad will be meeting a Taliban delegation that includes influential leader and cofounder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Khalilzad stated that the talks, which follow a week of negotiations that took place in January of this year, could be a “significant moment”. The previous talks resulted in an ambiguous “draft framework.”
The attendance of Baradar, a powerful and popular figure within the Taliban, is widely seen as a positive sign. Afghan special envoy for peace Mohammad Omar Daudzai described Baradar as an “independent” who is known for making “tough decisions”, and said that he hoped Baradard would “[use] his independence to decide on peace as soon as possible.”
Read more: ‘The work begins’: US, Taliban arrive in Doha for fresh talks
