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Afghan northern alliance mends internal rift: spokesmanThu 23 Apr 98 - 08:50 GMT ISLAMABAD, April 23 (AFP) - Two major factions in the anti-Taliban alliance in northern Afghanistan have resolved their differences at a meeting of the coalition attended by top leaders, a spokesman said Thursday. The spokesman, Rasul Talib, said the patch-up between the National Islamic Movement (NIM) representing ethnic Uzbek forces and the Shiite Hezb-i-Wahdat party would strengthen the alliance, as it enters into talks with the Taliban. The rift had led to clashes recently in the northern provincial capital of Mazar-i-Sharif between the NIM, headed by Uzbek general Abdul Rashid Dostam, and Wahdat, which is led by Karim Khalili. The alliance meeting, held on Wednesday in Mazar-i-Sharif, was attended by former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, Dostam, Khalili and senior commanders from component factions. The leaders reviewed the latest developments, particuarly the forthcoming talks between the Taliban and the northern alliance, said Talib, who belongs to Wahdat and is based in Pakistan. They reaffirmed "commitment to dialogue" with the Taliban on resolving the Afghan conflict in line with the assurances given last week to US presidential envoy Bill Richardson, he told AFP. Five Taliban and nine northern alliance delegates, who together make up a joint steering committee, are to meet here on Saturday under the auspices of the United Nations and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Officials from both sides have said their first face-to-face meeting would discuss a ceasefire, exchange of prisoners and lifting of curbs on the flow of humanitarian aid. The steering committee is also expected to discuss formation of a commission of ulema or religious scholars from the two sides to tackle political issues in accordance with the principles of Islamic Sharia law. Talib said the Hezb-i-Wahdat was releasing five Taliban soldiers from its Bamiyan stronghold in central Afghanistan as a "gesutre of goodwill." He said the soliders, who were taken prisoner in northern Afghanistan last year, would be flown to Kabul by a plane of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Taliban Islamic militia announced earlier Sunday it had released 10 opposition prisoners. According to the Red Cross, both the northern alliance and the Taliban, who control two thirds of Afghanistan, hold around 7,000 prisoners. |