Peace deal with Taliban a matter of ‘when, not if’, says Afghan President Ashraf Ghani
- Ashraf Ghani has offered the Taliban unconditional talks
- He says an unprecedented ceasefire with the militants in June was a hopeful sign
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani voiced confidence on Monday about reaching a peace deal to end the Taliban insurgency but warned that Pakistan’s alleged meddling risked sparking long-term hostility.
“I feel that it is now not a question of if, but when,” Ghani said of a peace agreement in a wide-ranging appearance by video at Johns Hopkins University, where he was formerly a professor.
“All wars have to end politically. There are very few wars, particularly the wars of the 21st century, that are going to end militarily,” he said.
Ghani, who is running for re-election next year, said he was offering unconditional talks and pointed to an unprecedented ceasefire with the Taliban in June as a hopeful sign.
All wars have to end politically. There are very few wars, particularly the wars of the 21st century, that are going to end militarily
Taliban representatives recently met in Qatar with an envoy from the United States, which is eager for a way to end its longest-ever war, launched in 2001 after the September 11 attacks.