Peace official states US electoral victor will not change peace process in Afghanistan

<p>On Wednesday, Afghanistan’s top peace official, Abdullah Abdullah, stated he does the expect the results of the anticipated US presidential election to change the Afghan peace process or troop withdrawal plans.</p> <p>The Trump administration has brokered peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban to end 19 years of war. The US Taliban Agreement negotiated on February 29 2020, concluded that US armed forces would withdraw from Afghanistan under pretences of a truce.</p> <p>Abdullah is not worrying, however. “Nobody can say with certainty what would be the impact of the outcome of the elections in the United States but based on my experiences and interactions, the policy will not change that much,” he states with confidence.</p> <p>“Neither Democrats nor Republicans would want to see all the gains or all the sacrifices they have made in Afghanistan in vain…(or) be hurt once again from Afghanistan or because of Afghanistan,” Abdullah tells Reuters in an interview at the end of his three-day visit to Pakistan.</p> <p>The US’s decision to withdraw all of its forces from Afghanistan will have an important impact and percolate urgency throughout the Afghan public that will mean a quick resolution to conflict.</p> <p>“But eventually it is us who have to find a way of working together, living together in peace, without posing a threat to our own citizens, or to the neighbourhood, or to the rest of the international community,” Abdullah says.</p> <p>Read more <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-talks-pakistan-idUS…">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>