Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Washington cuts aid to Afghanistan after failed Pompeo mediation


Washington cuts aid to Afghanistan after failed Pompeo mediation



 The us also confirmed the gradual withdrawal of its troops after the visit of the top of the American diplomacy to Kabul

U.S.  Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo (left), President of the Government of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani (center), and Vice President, Amrullah Saleh, in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 23. AP

 The us cut aid to Afghanistan on Monday (March 23rd) and confirmed the gradual withdrawal of its troops after the failure of Mike Pompeo's mediation with political leaders in Kabul.

 The American diplomat went for eight hours to the Afghan capital, then to Doha, Qatar, where he met for the primary time Taliban leaders within the hope of getting a social process back on target . already threatened.

 But three weeks after the signing of a historic peace agreement between Washington and therefore the Taliban, this double surprise visit didn't overcome the "political deadlock", consistent with Mike Pompeo, who however mentioned some "advances".

 within the Afghan capital, the Secretary of State notably met President Ashraf Ghani and ex-chief military officer Abdullah Abdullah, who also declared himself victorious within the presidential election of September 28, tainted with accusations of fraud.

 " Compromises "

 He said he sent an "urgent message" to them to "compromise" by forming a united government capable of negotiating with the insurgents - subsequent step within the social process that's slow to materialize. But the 2 men then told him "their failure to succeed in an agreement on an inclusive government," said Mike Pompeo.

 due to this "failure", which the us "deeply regrets", he announced that American aid to Afghanistan would be reduced "immediately" by a billion dollars, and by another billion in 2021 if the impasse continued. He also promised that aid could eventually be restored if Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah could reach an agreement.

 After 18 years of war, the longest in American history, the agreement signed on leap day in Doha provides for the gradual withdrawal within 14 months of all American and foreign forces from Afghanistan, as long as the insurgents keep their commitments and start unprecedented direct peace negotiations with the Kabul government.

 But these inter-Afghan negotiations, which were originally scheduled to start out on March 10, have already lagged behind thanks to this institutional crisis, as have the planned Kabul-Taliban prisoner exchanges.

Source: Agencies

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