US spl envoy, Taliban co- founder in Doha for talks to end conflict

Zalmay Khalilzad. Pic/AFP

US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Doha Monday to kick off fresh high-level talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the 17-year Afghan conflict, saying it could be a "significant moment".

"Arrived in #Doha to meet with a more authoritative Taliban delegation. This could be a significant moment. Appreciate #Qatar for hosting & #Pakistan in facilitating travel. Now the work begins in earnest," tweeted the envoy.

The latest round of negotiations follows six days of talks in Doha last month that sparked hopes of a breakthrough. Then, the two sides walked away with a "draft framework" that included a Taliban vow to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a haven for international terror groups.

There had been no accord on a US withdrawal or a ceasefire, however, issues which have derailed attempts at peace talks in the past, while the government in Kabul voiced fears it was being sidelined from the talks.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar - a Taliban deputy leader and a cofounder of the hardline Islamist movement - arrived in Qatar late Sunday, according to a Taliban spokesman. It remained unclear what role Baradar would have during the talks, but the presence of the influential leader widely believed to carry popular support across the Taliban's myriad factions set expectations high.

17
No. of years the Afghanistan conflict has lasted

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