The United States significantly cut aid to Afghanistan on Monday (March 23rd) and confirmed the gradual withdrawal of its troops after the failure of Mike Pompeo's mediation with political leaders in Kabul.
The American diplomat went for eight hours to the Afghan capital, then to Doha, Qatar, where he met for the first time Taliban leaders in hopes of getting a peace process back on track. already threatened.
But three weeks after the signing of a historic peace agreement between Washington and the Taliban, this double surprise visit failed to overcome "The political impasse", according to Mike Pompeo, who however mentioned a few "Advanced".
In the Afghan capital, the Secretary of State notably met President Ashraf Ghani and ex-chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah, who also declared himself victorious in the presidential election of September 28, tainted with accusations of fraud.
" Compromises "
He said he gave them a "Urgent message" so that they do " compromises " by forming a unity government capable of negotiating with the insurgents – the next step in the peace process that is slow to materialize. But the two men then told him "Their failure to reach an agreement on an inclusive government"said Mike Pompeo.
Because of this "Failure", that the United States "Deeply regret", he announced that US aid to Afghanistan would be reduced " at once " a billion dollars, and an additional billion in 2021 if the impasse continues. He also promised that aid could eventually be restored if Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah could reach an agreement.
After 18 years of war, the longest in American history, the agreement signed on February 29 in Doha provides for the gradual withdrawal within 14 months of all American and foreign forces from Afghanistan, provided that the insurgents keep their commitments and begin unprecedented direct peace negotiations with the Kabul government.
But these inter-Afghan negotiations, which were originally scheduled to start on March 10, have already lagged due to this institutional crisis, as have the dealings of Kabul-Taliban prisoners under the agreement.
A new sign that the Donald Trump administration is determined to leave Afghanistan in the run-up to the November presidential election in the United States, Mike Pompeo confirmed that the American withdrawal was continuing despite these blockages.
