Afghanistan strikes deal with warlord
Peace agreement paves the way for Hekmatyar to make a political comeback despite a history of war crimes
Afghanistan yesterday signed a peace agreement with notorious warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, paving the way for him to make a political comeback despite a history of war crimes and after years in hiding.
Hekmatyar, who heads the now largely dormant Hezb-i-Islami militant group, is the latest in a series of controversial figures that Kabul has sought to reintegrate in the post-Taliban era by granting judicial immunity for past crimes.
The deal with Afghanistan's second-biggest militant group marks a symbolic victory for President Ashraf Ghani, who has struggled to revive peace talks with the more powerful Taliban.
A Hezb-i-Islami delegation shook hands with members of the High Peace Council (HPC), responsible for reconciliation efforts with militants, and the national security adviser at an official ceremony in Kabul.
"This is not just a peace deal between Hezb-i-Islami and the government of Afghanistan," Mohammad Amin Karim, head of the insurgent delegation, said at the ceremony, which was not attended by Hekmatyar.
"It is a beginning of a new era of peace all around the country."
The agreement will come into force when it is formally signed by Ghani and Hekmatyar, the government said, though no date has been set.
"Destruction is the only consequence of war. So I urge all the opposition groups to pursue peace and reconciliation," said HPC chief Sayed Ahmad Gilani.