US calls Afghan prisoner swap 'urgent' amid coronavirus

WASHINGTON: The United States on Wednesday pressed the Afghan government and Taliban to move ahead with a delayed plan to free prisoners, saying the coronavirus crisis created urgency.

The US signed a February 29 deal with the Taliban that set in motion the withdrawal of forces and called for the release of captives ahead of talks between the Islamist insurgents and the Kabul government.

But the internationally recognized government, which was already reluctant, has put off the release, saying Kabul needed time to review the identities of prisoners. "The United States would like to see prisoner releases begin as soon as possible in line with the US-Taliban agreement," said Zalmay Khalilzad, the US negotiator who brokered the deal with the Taliban.

"Coronavirus makes prisoner releases urgent; time is of the essence," he wrote on Twitter. He said that the global pandemic meant the two sides would likely need to hold talks virtually, although he still voiced hope for a face-to-face meeting. He had earlier called for the insurgents and government representatives to meet in Qatar, the site of a year of US-Taliban negotiations, to agree on the logistics of the prisoner swap.

Khalilzad said that the Taliban, who have not renounced violence against the government, have agreed to the key demand of the government that freed guerrillas not return to battle. "The Taliban commit that released prisoners will abide by the commitments made in the peace agreement and not return to the battlefield.