GHAZNI, Afghanistan, 4 August 2007 — South Korean officials and the Taleban struggled yesterday to agree on a venue for talks to save the lives of 21 hostages, as the rebels refused to allow Afghan doctors access to the group.
The hard-liners said after the latest deadline expired Wednesday they had not killed any more hostages, after already shooting dead two as they waited for direct talks with a South Korean delegation.
Taleban spokesman Yousef Ahmadi told AFP there had been new telephone contact yesterday with South Korean ambassador Kang Sung-zu.
“They told us that they are in negotiations with the Afghan and American governments to convince them to free Taleban prisoners in exchange for the South Korean hostages,” Ahmadi said.
The release of Taleban prisoners has been the key demand of the extremists, who kidnapped the group of Christian aid workers, most of whom are women, on July 19 as they traveled in the insurgency-hit south. Seoul has, however, made it clear it cannot guarantee anything.
“The Korean government is not in a position to give a direct answer to the Taleban’s demand that its prisoners be swapped for Korean hostages,” presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, meanwhile, cited “informed sources” saying direct talks between South Korean officials and the Taleban were likely to be held later yesterday.
But Ahmadi said there had been no agreement on a venue with the Taleban rejecting a meeting in government-controlled territory. They would, however, immediately agree to talks in their areas, in another country or under a UN guarantee of a “safe return” for its negotiators.
