Afghanistan’s peace summit in Qatar agreed upon ‘on Taliban terms’

An all-Afghan peace summit will be held on July 7 and 8 in Qatar. It would seem that this has been agreed on Taliban terms, as there will be no official government representation, AP reported.

Those attending “will participate only in their personal capacity and on an equal footing,” Germany’s special representative Ambassador Markus Potzel said on Tuesday.

The talks come just a day after the Taliban claimed responsibility for a devastating attack in Kabul that killed at least six people and wounded more than 100 others.

The Taliban have refused to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government, while offering talks with anyone who comes to the table as an ordinary Afghan. Ghani has previously demanded that the Taliban talk directly with his government.