Pompeo leaves Kabul with no deal

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) and Afghan politician Abdullah Abdullah (left) in Kabul on Monday

The United States will cut $1 billion of assistance to Afghanistan. After his urgent trip to the Islamic republic to revive a peace deal failed, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday said he might reduce other forms of cooperation unless Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his political rival Abdullah Abdullah agree to a power-sharing deal.

What’s the problem? Both Ghani and Abdullah claimed victory in the September 2019 presidential election and took the oath of office at simultaneous ceremonies. In a televised address, Ghani called Abdullah’s demands unconstitutional, while Abdullah called Pompeo’s visit a missed opportunity. Pompeo said their leadership failure threatens U.S. national interests but he remains hopeful they will “get their act together.”

Dig deeper: Catch up on WORLD’s coverage of how the Afghanistan peace deal came together and fell apart.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks