Afghanistan’s Taliban want to be removed from a UN blacklist before considering rejoining peace talks aimed at ending a 15-year civil war, a senior member said, as its political wing met activists at an unofficial forum in Qatar.
After months of worsening fighting, with the province of Helmand slipping out of government control and frequent suicide bombings in the capital, Afghanistan and its neighbors are trying to get troubled negotiations back on track.
Prospects of the Taliban, an increasingly strong presence on the battlefield since the withdrawal of most international troops in 2014, joining any talks had appeared slim, Reuters reported.
But a Taliban member told Reuters that the group could participate if the UN Security Council canceled a resolution freezing assets and limiting travel of senior figures.
