The Taliban government in Afghanistan announced today that the United States has released an Afghan prisoner in exchange for Americans held by the Taliban at the end of "long negotiations", which were held with the mediation of Qatar, reported Agence France-Presse.
"Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed, serving a sentence in a prison in America, was released in exchange for American citizens and was sent home," said in "Ex" The Taliban-controlled Foreign Ministry said the detained Afghan national was serving a life sentence in a California prison after being arrested "more than two decades ago".
The exchange announcement comes a day after the inauguration of new US President Donald Trump. When the Republican was re-elected in November, the Taliban government said it hoped to open a "new chapter" in bilateral relations with the US.
Today, the Afghan Foreign Ministry announced "protracted discussions" that led to the prisoner exchange, describing it as "a good example of resolving a problem through dialogue, especially thanks to the help of Qatar, a brotherly country that has played an effective role".
"These measures by the United States are positive and contribute to the normalization and development of relations between the two countries," the ministry said, despite the fact that no country in the world has so far recognized the Taliban government in Kabul.
In February 2020, the US, then under the administration of Donald Trump, signed the "Doha Agreement" in Qatar, which paved the way for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year presence in the country. A year later, the Taliban regained control of power after defeating the forces of the internationally supported Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, notes Agence France-Presse.