The Afghan government and Taliban militants remain far apart on even the most basic issues a week into talks meant to end two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands of people.
The chasm, not just on the predictably thorny problem of a ceasefire but on foundational issues, suggests major hurdles to any hopes of binding the wounds of a ravaged country.
Despite the difficulties, the talks are the best hope for peace in years and come as a result of a February pact between the Taliban and the United States, allowing U.S. forces to withdraw in exchange for Taliban promises on terrorism.
But the Taliban have refused to agree to a ceasefire and the war is grinding on. About 40 people were killed in Taliban attacks last week.
With all foreign troops due to be gone by May next year, pressure is building on the U.S.-backed government as it grapples with how it can share power with its implacable foe or contend with a likely Taliban push for military victory.
Since the spotlight faded from the lavish Sept. 12 opening ceremony in a hotel ballroom in the Qatari capital, Doha, attended by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the two sides have only confirmed that they are diametrically opposed on virtually every issue.
“We are talking to a side that is difficult and inflexible and therefore things are not moving forward,” said a senior negotiator on the Afghan government side.
The two sides will have to tackle a diverse range of issues to secure peace, from the legitimacy of the Kabul government to women’s rights.
“The first week has demonstrated how complex the talks will be in general, with the most crucial one being Afghanistan’s future political system,” said Graham Smith, an independent analyst tracking closely the talks based in Afghanistan.
The Taliban emerged in the early 1990s from the chaos of factional strife between the Islamists who had battled occupying Soviet forces in the 1980s.