Representatives close to the Afghan government, including former Afghan interior minister Umar Daudzai and President Ashraf Ghani’s uncle, attended the Doha talks, but actual government representatives were absent, the Afghan foreign ministry said.
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The threats were linked to a report Tolo TV broadcast about alleged Taliban activities in Kunduz, a northern city that the insurgents held for three days in late September.
These are “among the preliminary steps needed for peace”, the Taleban said in a statement.
Also on Sunday, the Taliban said their “political office” in Qatar was the only entity authorised to carry out negotiations on its behalf, reinforcing the authority of the man who took control of the group amid a tussle over command following the death of long-time leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.
The Taliban made the declaration in a summary emailed by spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid of a statement it made during unofficial, closed-door talks taking place in the Qatari capital, Doha.
The Afghan Taliban said they will attend a conference organised by an global crisis group on resolving the war in Afghanistan. “Any preconditions could further delay the reconciliation process”, said HPC official Aminuddin Muzaffari.
Taliban sources, however, said Ghani, in a written message reportedly delivered by acting Afghan Defense Minster Masoom Stanekzi on the final day of the gathering, had accepted the Taliban as political opposition and was ready to engage in direct talks.
The official initiative involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States is due to hold its third meeting in Islamabad on Feb 6.
Despite efforts to restart talks, since the start of the year the Taliban have ramped up their campaign of violence across Afghanistan, with suicide attacks and territorial gains in Helmand province. However, the Taliban, who have been invited multiple times throughout the course of the worldwide talks, have been notably absent from each one.
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In Afghanistan, a Taliban suicide auto bomber targeted a minibus carrying journalists working for a private Afghan television channel, killing seven employees in Kabul. At least 25 other people were wounded in the bombing near the Russian embassy in downtown Kabul, in the first direct assault on an Afghan media organization since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.
