Representatives of the US and the Taliban met in Qatar on Monday. The Taliban were called upon in the talks to “protect the rights of all Afghans,” said the US State Department.
The US and the radical Islamic Taliban in Afghanistan resumed talks in Qatar earlier this week. Both sides discussed the international community’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the US State Department said in a statement on Tuesday. The US delegation, led by Special Envoy Thomas West, has promised to continue to support the efforts of the United Nations (UN) to cope with the crisis situation.
During the talks in Doha, the US called on the Taliban to “protect the rights of all Afghans, maintain and enforce its general amnesty policy and take additional steps to form an inclusive and representative government,” the State Department said. The US delegation had expressed its concerns about the observance of human rights and urged that the Taliban implement its commitment to give women and girls nationwide access to education at all levels. “The Taliban were ready to negotiate with the international community about unrestricted access for girls and women to educational institutions.”
The US left Afghanistan in August after two decades under an agreement with the Islamists. Since then, the Taliban have sought international recognition for their government and humanitarian aid to avert a famine. The international community is faced with the task of providing the aid it needs without supporting and legitimizing the Taliban, who are classified as terrorists.