US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Kabul on a surprise visit on Monday and held talks with top Afghan officials including President Ashraf Ghani.
Pompeo announced the US’s full support for Ghani’s efforts to resume peace negotiations with the Taliban and reiterated that Washington was willing to assist.
Pompeo said the peace process would be Afghan-led but added that the US would be prepared to participate to help resolve differences and said support from neighboring countries would also be needed.
He also referred to the upcoming elections in Afghanistan and called for the process to be organized in a credible and legitimate manner.
Meanwhile, Ghani said that the Afghan security forces are getting stronger but the contribution of Islamic countries in finding a solution to the conflict in Afghanistan is crucial.
“A regional consensus Mr. Secretary is in the process of emerging. Also, we are grateful that the Islamic engagement through the endorsement of fatwas by the Imams of Mecca and Medina has been a very strong step,” said Ghani.
The US secretary of state said the new war strategy announced by President Donald Trump for Afghanistan and South Asia in terms of sending more troops to increase pressure on the Taliban insurgents and push them toward negotiations was working, and would reassure Afghans “that we will support them as they continue fighting to liberate their country and their people.”
“The strategy sends a clear message to the Taliban that they cannot wait us out,” he said.
“We discussed President Trump's South Asia strategy in detail and agreed that the strategy is indeed working. We also discussed the Afghan led and Afghan owned peace process and the successful ceasefire,” said Ghani.
“Our South Asia strategy sent a clear message to the Afghan peoples and its security services that we will support them, as they continue to fight to defend their country and their people. The strategy sends a clear message to the Taliban that they cannot wait us out. And we are beginning to see the results both on the battlefield, the Taliban’s momentum is slowing and in the prospect of peace with them,” added Pompeo.