Russia ready to mediate between Taliban and National Resistance

Kabul – Zamir Kabulov, the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan, announced that Russia is prepared to mediate between the Taliban and the National Resistance to prevent a civil war in Afghanistan. But both groups need to consent to this. Over the last few days, reports were received that Russia has taken essential steps regarding Afghanistan. Against this background, the Russian announcement becomes noteworthy.

On Tuesday, Zamir Kabulov, the special envoy appointed for Afghanistan by Russian President Vladimir Putin, delivered a message for the groups in Afghanistan while speaking to a Russian news agency. Kabulov said that Russia was prepared to host the meeting between Taliban and National Resistance if both the factions were willing. Kabulov said that Russia only wants a civil war to spark in Afghanistan due to the differences between the Taliban and the National Resistance.

At the same time, Kabulov criticised the meeting with the Taliban leaders in the Norwegian capital Oslo. Kabulov said that nothing would be achieved through this meeting of the United States and its supporters with the Taliban.

National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Amarullah Saleh and Ahmed Masood, has not reacted to the Russian proposal. But as per the information given by the NRF sources to an Afghan news agency, a meeting was held between the Taliban and NRF leaders in Moscow a week ago. Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban regime Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, the defence department chief and the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar participated in the meeting. Besides, former Afghan intelligence chief Rahmatullah Nabil had claimed that Baradar and Yaqoob had secretly travelled to Russia a few days ago. Reports had been published regarding this in the Afghan media.

Former Afghan Vice President and NRF leader Amaraullah Saleh were present in Moscow simultaneously. The Afghan media quoted sources and claimed that Ahmed Masood and Salalludin Rabbani also were scheduled to join Saleh for the meeting. NRF did not react to this report. Whereas the Taliban has not dismissed the news. Therefore, a possibility of a meeting being held with Russian mediation is being predicted.

Reports had been published that Taliban Commander Mottaki and NRF leader Ahmed Masood held a secret meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran. Both the Afghan groups had dismissed the reports. But within the next few hours, both the Taliban and the NRF accepted that the meeting had been held.