Many freed Taliban prisoners have rejoined the insurgency

Many Taliban recently freed from Afghanistan prisons have rejoined the insurgency, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Dr. Abdullah Abdullah says, bringing a US-Taliban deal into disrepute which then undermines the goodwill gesture by the Afghan government for freeing thousands of insurgent inmates.

“Honestly, I don’t know how many have rejoined the war,” Abdullah told the US Foreign Relations Council, “But I know that some of them went back to the battlefields and this is in contrast with their commitment in the U.S.-Taliban peace deal.”

However, he didn’t provide further information and any proof in regards. Abdullah also confirmed that a large number of these prisoners remain at home and denounce violence.

The February 29th peace deal that also laid out the American troops’ drawdown in Afghanistan included the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for the 1,000 security forces. The Taliban committed that the prisoners would not rejoin the insurgency.

Abdullah cited the remarks while the negotiation teams of the government and Taliban bargaining on the agendas of the intra-Afghan negotiations. The long waited and face to face intra-Afghan negotiations are being held after a longtime recrimination from both sides and release of the thousands of Taliban prisoners.

Source: Afghanistan Times