Authorities in Afghanistan have begun the process of releasing the final set of 400 Taliban prisoners. Last week, 80 out of the 400 “hard-core” prisoners were released, following the decision of the Loya Jirga, an assembly of community leaders, which ruled that the release of these prisoners was crucial for proceeding with the peace process in Afghanistan. Javid Faisal, the spokesperson for the National Security Council, said, “The government … yesterday released 80 Taliban convicts out of the 400 that the Consultative Loya Jirga sanctioned for release to speed up efforts for direct talks and a lasting, nationwide ceasefire.” However, no timeline has been set for the release of the remaining 320.
The issue of releasing these 400 prisoners has proved to be highly controversial since the signing of the US-brokered peace deal signed with the Taliban earlier this year. This group of prisoners comprises of those accused of orchestrating some of Afghanistan’s most deadly and gruesome attacks. Moreover, the delay in negotiations on the issue has led to continued violence in the region, with the Afghani forces and the Taliban clashing almost every week since the signing of the peace deal. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan reported that the continuation of violence in the region has led to the death of over 1,280 civilians since January 2020.
While the Afghani government was quick to agree to the loya jirga’s decision to proceed with the prisoner releases, the decision is being opposed by France. A statement by the French foreign ministry said, “France is particularly concerned by the presence, among the individuals liable to be released, of several terrorists convicted of killing French citizens in Afghanistan.” Further, it read, “It firmly opposed the liberation of individuals convicted of crimes against French nationals, in particular soldiers and humanitarian workers … As a result, we have immediately asked the Afghan authorities not to proceed with the release of these terrorists.”
However, the US has expressed its support for going ahead with the prisoner releases. Speaking to the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, “We acknowledge that the release of these prisoners is unpopular. But this difficult action will lead to an important result long sought by Afghans and Afghanistan’s friends” as it would lead to “reduction of violence and direct talks resulting in a peace agreement and an end to the war.”
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For American leaders, with the Presidential elections coming up, the conversation with Pakistan and the setting up of the Loya Jirga was crucial, as President Donald Trump has promised to bring back more troops before the election. He said that the number would go below 5,000 by Election Day in November. Pompeo also said that this decision is in pursuance of America’s commitment to reduce “the burden on the US taxpayer and the risk to the US troops”.
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