Start of Afghan talks uncertain as prisoner release stalls
CGTN
Negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan authorities expected within days of a mega gathering of prominent Afghans approving the release of 400 Taliban prisoners. /AFP

Negotiations between the Taliban and Afghan authorities expected within days of a mega gathering of prominent Afghans approving the release of 400 Taliban prisoners. /AFP

Afghan authorities and the Taliban have hit an impasse over the planned release of hundreds of insurgents after opposition from some foreign governments, officials said Monday, apparently stalling peace talks.

The negotiations were expected to begin within days after prominent Afghans met in Kabul on August 9 and approved the release of 400 Taliban prisoners -- including many involved in deadly attacks -- removing a crucial precondition to talks.

While Afghan authorities freed 80 Taliban prisoners on Thursday, there have been no further releases since then.

"There is no plan to release any prisoner today also," an official with the country's National Security Council (NSC) said on Monday.

The delay has "something to do with some countries' concerns about some people in the list," Ghulam Farooq Majroh, a member of the Afghan negotiating team said.

Another NSC official said some "international partners have reservations" about releasing the prisoners.

The NSC officials and Majroh did not identify the countries, but Paris and Canberra have objected to the release of several insurgents accused of killing French and Australian nationals and soldiers.

The Taliban have said they are willing to begin peace talks "within a week" after all 400 prisoners are freed, and blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations.

"The matter is stalled because the other side is not releasing the remaining prisoners despite promises," Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen declared..

The release of the 400 militants is part of an overall prisoner swap agreed in February between the Taliban and Washington as a precondition for peace talks.

Washington has pushed for the release of these militants.

Source(s): AFP