Afghan Taliban suspends secret talks with US

The Afghan Taliban has temporarily suspended the ongoing secret talks with the United States on a possible prisoners’ swap, militant sources say.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement on Sunday that the militant group has decided to suspend the talks for some time “due to the political complexity of the current situation” in Afghanistan.

The statement comes days after the administration of US President Barack Obama resumed the so-called peace process with the Afghan Taliban militants in the Qatari capital Doha.

US officials say the potential swap would see the possible transfer of five senior Taliban prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba in exchange for a US soldier captured nearly five years ago. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, Idaho is believed to be held in the border regions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

President Obama’s administration has supported peace talks with the Taliban after the US-led forces lost ground against the militants in recent months across Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government has expressed serious concerns about the ongoing US-led peace process with Taliban in Qatar. Senior Afghan officials say the move contradicts the US security guarantees, noting that the Taliban militants will be able to use their Doha office to raise funds for their campaign in Afghanistan.

The Afghan High Peace Council has frequently stated that none of its members will travel to Qatar to sit at talks with the Taliban. The council has been making its own efforts to initiate dialogue with discontented Afghans and militants engaged in warfare with the US-led forces and Kabul’s Western-backed government.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but after more than 12 years, insecurity remains across the country.