US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the Taliban’s deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Tuesday, hours after he concluded a trip to Kabul where he met President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah in a move to end the ongoing impasse.

Internal feuding has been ongoing within the Afghan government between President Ashraf Ghani and his main rival in last September's presidential polls, Abdullah Abdullah, both of whom have declared themselves the country's president in dueling inauguration ceremonies earlier this month.

The US Department of State in a statement said that the US regrets that Ghani and Abdullah have been unable to agree on an inclusive government.

“The United States deeply regrets that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah have informed Secretary Pompeo that they have been unable to agree on an inclusive government that can meet the challenges of governance, peace, and security, and provide for the health and welfare of Afghan citizens. The United States is disappointed in them and what their conduct means for Afghanistan and our shared interests. Their failure has harmed U.S.-Afghan relations and, sadly, dishonors those Afghan, Americans, and Coalition partners who have sacrificed their lives and treasure in the struggle to build a new future for this country,” said the statement.

Pompeo said that reduction in violence by the Taliban has been real, but said that this is not enough to end the war in the country.

According to Pompeo, no attack was recorded against the US forces in Afghanistan over the past three weeks since the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal in Doha.

“He also asked the Taliban to reduce their operations, in response, the Taliban asked him to expedite efforts for the release of the prisoners,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander.

Meanwhile, Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Doha, in a Twitter post said that in the meeting between Pompeo and Baradar, the two sides stressed the need for peace in Afghanistan including the issue the intra-Afghan talks and the release of the Taliban prisoners.

“The peace process in Afghanistan is facing a serious problem and there is no prospect of reaching an agreement,” said Sami Yousufzai, referring to the problems on the way of intra-Afghan talks.

Nevertheless, President Ashraf Ghani has called on them to stop the violence and agree to a ceasefire.

“I call on the Taliban to respond to the call made by the religious scholars and to agree on a ceasefire to get the people of Afghanistan out of the peril of the coronavirus. If a tragedy happens, the Taliban and their foreign backers will be responsible,” said Ghani.

Ordinary Afghans meanwhile called on Afghan politicians to resolve their differences and work for the country.

“If they do not agree among themselves, of course, the US will cut its aid and there is a possibility that they (US) will bring the Taliban,” said Omid Rahnaward, a resident in Kabul.

“Our relationship with America is a government-to-government relation, not individual-to-individual relation,” said Nisar Ahmad Khawasi, a resident in Kabul