The leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency on Wednesday said he supports political negotiations with the Kabul government to seek a peaceful end to the 14-year old war.

In his facilitation message in connection with the upcoming Eid festival, marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Mullah Omar said the dialogue as a religiously “legitimate” strategy aimed at driving foreign troops from Afghanistan and establishing a “pure” Islamic state in the country.

“Therefore the objective behind our political endeavors as well as contacts and interactions with countries of the world and our own Afghans is to bring an end to the occupation and to establish an independent Islamic system in our country,” Omar said.  

The rare statement came a week after Afghan government and Taliban delegates held first direct talks in 14 years to discuss ways to end the increasingly deadly Afghan war. Neighboring Pakistan hosted what was being described a “historic” step towards ending the conflict, though both sides acknowledged the talks were “preliminary” and “introductory” in nature. 

The two sides also agreed to meet again immediately after Ramadan to further the dialogue process, promising to bring “serious” proposals to the table for ending hostilities. But they gave no further details and did not say exactly when and where the next meeting will take place.

Chinese and American envoys also attended last week’s meeting as “observers.” Officials with knowledge of the talks say this was to ensure the commitments undertaken by the two sides are honored.
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