How Peace was Made: An Inside Account of Talks between the Afghan Government and Hezb-e Islami
The September 2016 peace accord between the Afghan government and the Hezb-e Islami militant group has been regarded as a first major step toward restoring Afghanistan to a state of peace. This Special Report provides a firsthand account of the protracted negotiations that led to the agreement—and offers important insights for how similar talks might proceed with the Taliban,
About the Report
This report is a firsthand account of the peace negotiations between the Afghan government and Hezb-e Islami, an Afghan insurgent group that fought against the government and its allies for seventeen years. It addresses the specific challenges facing the talks—including extensive outreach and consultations needed to build a consensus for peace at the national and international levels—and offers insights on future peace talks with the Taliban.
About the Author(s)
From 2015 to 2018, Qaseem Ludin was a senior adviser to the Office of the National Security Council of Afghanistan. He was a key negotiator in the peace talks with the Hezb-e Islami insurgent group that resulted in the signing of the September 2016 peace accord between President Ashraf Ghani and Hezb-e Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.