Afghan President Ghani leaves country as Taliban continue talks for "unconditional surrender"
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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country Sunday, according to Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation.
Why it matters: Ghani's removal from government had been a key demand by the Taliban as a part of the on-again-off-again peace talks, which insurgents slow rolled in order to gain military ground.
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"Today I faced a tough choice — to stand up to the Taliban who wanted to enter the Citadel or leave my country that I have devoted the last 20 years to protecting," Ghani wrote in a Facebook post. "If I had stayed, it would have resulted in the martyrdom of many citizens and the destruction of Kabul."
Afghan government officials and Taliban leaders on Sunday have been holding talks at the presidential palace in Kabul, as the militant group pushes for an "unconditional surrender."
There has not been an announcement on when a power transfer might occur, but former President Hamid Karzai released a statement announcing the creation of a "coordination council" that consists of him, Abdullah and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hizb-e-Islami political and paramilitary group.
“The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah, a frequent critic of Ghani, said in a Facebook Live video. “God should hold him accountable.”
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Editor's note: This article will be updated with relevant new developments as they occur.
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