Context:

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah have signed a power-sharing deal, ending months of political uncertainty.

The power-sharing deal:

• Mr. Ghani and Dr. Abdullah – the old rivals who both held positions in the previous government – signed the agreement.
• Ghani will remain president, but Abdullah’s party will appoint half of the cabinet ministers.
• Abdullah will lead peace negotiations with the Taliban under the title of chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, according to a copy of the agreement.
• Also as part of the deal, Abdurrashid Dostum will be promoted to marshal and will gain a seat on the Afghan National Security Council.

Background:

• Afghanistan has been in political disarray since the country’s Election Commission in December 2019 announced Mr.Ghani had won the September election with more than 50% of the vote.
• Mr.Ghani and Mr. Abdullah both declared themselves president in parallel inauguration ceremonies in March.

US’s role

• A peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban signed February 29 calls for U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan.
• It was seen at the time as Afghanistan’s best chance at peace in decades of war.