The US Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass in an interview with TOLOnews said the Afghan people’s doubts about the real intentions of Taliban in the peace talks and a possible post-peace government is understandable and that it should be guaranteed that the warring parties will implement their commitments that will be made in a possible agreement. 

Bass said that in order to make sure the warring parties will implement the commitments they will make in the deal; the guarantors should get guarantees from them and also impartial observers should observe them in terms of implementing what they have promised. 

Bass who visited northern Balkh province on Friday said that due to the suffering the people have seen, it is completely understandable that the Afghan people, especially people in northe th, doubts that whether Taliban will implement their promises or not. 

“It is entirely understandable, given the history of recent years and the suffering across this country, here in Balkh and across the north, that people would be skeptical about the Taliban’s real intentions,” Bass said. “So, a key piece of any settlement process is going to be the way in which any commitments that are reached in a negotiation, are verified and implemented. And I think it will be quite important for all of the citizens of Afghanistan, but importantly for your audience and citizens of Balkh and surrounding areas, to have confidence that there are measures in place, there are guarantors or impartial observers in place who can hold the parties to a settlement to account for the commitments they have made,” Bass said.

Commenting on the Afghan peace talks, Bass said the US wants the Afghan government and politicians to form an inclusive negotiating team that includesdelegates from all layers of the society and that they should represent Afghanistan in any peace talks with the Taliban. 

“We want to help the current government and wider society form that inclusive team that can support and properly represent the entire society in any discussions with the Taliban about settling the conflict,” Bass added. 

He said that there is a need for collective support to Afghan forces as they are defending the country against any threat from the Taliban if the group chooses to fight like it did in the previous years.  

Talking about recent tensions in Balkh between security forces and former Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor’s supporters over the appointment of the new police chief, Bass said changes in a democratic system are made based on assessments of government and that these changes are required to be made peacefully. 

Addressing a gathering in Balkh on Thursday, Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban member, said an intra-Afghan dialogue should begin to end the conflict.

“People across Afghanistan will attend the elections if peace comes. A person should represent all Afghanistan is better or only two million? Thus, peace is a need,” said Agha. 

This comes as the US and Taliban talks in Qatar ended after 16 days on March 14 with an agreement in draft on foreign forces withdrawal and counterterrorism assurances.