Afghanistan’s violence reduction a fragile step toward peace

KABUL: Now that the Taliban and the United States have agreed to a "reduction in violence" across Afghanistan, hopes are high a comprehensive peace deal will eventually follow.

Though the move marks a historic step, analysts warn the attempt to stem Afghanistan´s bloodshed is fraught with complications and could fail at any time.

Or, worse still, they say warring parties could exploit a lull to reconfigure their forces and secure a battlefield advantage.

"This is a really precarious situation and spoilers on all sides are already manoeuvring to upset the balance," Ashley Jackson, a researcher at the Overseas Development Institute, told AFP.

Pentagon chief Mark Esper said on Thursday an agreement was in place for a "conditions-based", seven-day reduction in violence.

It was not clear when it may start -- a Taliban official said it was imminent, President Donald Trump said Thursday a full peace accord was "very close" and a US official said on Friday it would begin "really soon."

The United States has for more than a year been in talks with the Taliban for a deal to end a war that started after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Though the Afghan government was largely sidelined from negotiations, acting interior minister Massoud Andarabi told AFP the partial truce would also include national security forces, who are doing almost all the fighting on the ground.