Afghan leader rejects foreign interference as talks advance

Afghanistan's president on Sunday rejected foreign interference as the United States and the Taliban appear to be closing in on a peace deal without the Afghan government at the table.

President Ashraf Ghani spoke during the Muslim holiday Eid-al-Adha and as US and Taliban negotiators continue their work in the Gulf nation of Qatar, where the insurgents have a political office.

Speaking after the Eid prayers, Ghani insisted that next month's presidential election is essential so that Afghanistan's leader will have a powerful mandate to decide the country's future after years of war.

"The fate of Afghanistan will be decided here in this homeland," he said. "We don't want anyone to intervene in our affairs."
The Taliban spokesman in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, who has said a deal is expected at the end of this round of talks, on Sunday issued an Eid message expressing the hope that Afghanistan "will celebrate future Eids under the Islamic system, without occupation, under an environment of permanent peace and unity."
"Peace is the desire of each Afghan and peace will come, there shouldn't be any doubt about it," he said. "But we want a peace in which each Afghan has dignity. We don't want a peace in which Afghans wouldn't have dignity. We don't want a peace that would cause people to leave their country. We don't want brain drain and we don't want investment drain."