Taliban leader Hebatullah Akhundzada said on Thursday the United States had raised a cloud of uncertainty and doubts about its intentions in peace talks.
In a message released to mark the coming Eid al-Adha, Akhundzada said that the Taliban is enaging in the negotiations with “utmost seriousness,” and called on US to pursue the process with sincerity to end the “eighteen-year tragedy.”
“However, the increasing blind and brutal bombings by America during the negotiation process, attacks on civilian areas and the contradictory statements by your military and political officials has generated a cloud of uncertainty about this process and raised doubts about your intentions,” he said.
“Since bilateral trust is the foundation of a successful negotiations process therefore it is imperative that such negative actions are ceased,” he added.
The US has held eight rounds of talks with the Taliban and are said to be close to reaching an agreement. But violence continues despite the talks.
Akhundzada’s comments come a day after the Taliban killed 14 people and wounded 145 others in a bombing in Kabul. The Afghan government said that the attack raised questions about the militants’ commitment to peace despite the talks with the US.
The Taliban, however, said that the attack was a response to daily raids by government forces.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said that the focus should be on immediately reducing violence as “we move closer to intra-Afghan negotiations that will produce a political roadmap and a permanent ceasefire.”
