The Taliban conditioned, in a statement on Friday, the departure of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as a prerequisite for any negotiation process, asserting that he must leave for any peace agreement to take place. The group emphasized that there will be no peace in Afghanistan without negotiations on a new government. This came as one of its spokesmen clarified to Russian news agencies that the group controls 90% of Afghanistan's borders amid a simultaneous offensive coinciding with the withdrawal of foreign forces, although these claims have not been verified by independent sources.
Zabihullah Mujahid told the state news agency RIA Novosti that "the Afghan borders with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran, approximately 90 percent, are under our control."
Afghanistan Denies
However, the Afghan government completely denied this information, with Defense Ministry spokesman Fawad Aman describing the AFP news agency's report of the Taliban controlling 90% of Afghanistan's borders as one of the fabricated stories of the year.
Conversely, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the Taliban had informed it of their willingness to form an inclusive government with the authorities in Kabul.
Comprehensive Offensive
It is noted that the Taliban have been conducting a comprehensive offensive against Afghan forces since May, as international troops begin their final withdrawal from the country, which is set to conclude by the end of August. Earlier in July, the Taliban announced that they controlled 85% of Afghanistan's territory, a claim disputed by the government and one that is impossible to verify independently.
The Taliban's offensive raises concerns for neighboring countries, especially Tajikistan, which shares more than 1,200 kilometers of border with Afghanistan. Additionally, Tajikistan mobilized its entire army on Thursday to check the readiness of its troops in a combat drill, the first of its kind in the Central Asian country, amid the deteriorating situation in neighboring Afghanistan.
