Afghan guerrilla leaders refused Monday to resume direct talks with the Soviets, accusing Moscow of playing political games aimed at securing its communist proteges in Kabul a place in a post-war government.
The guerrillas promised not to attack departing Red Army troops but said their decision to break off negotiations means fighting is likely to continue after Feb. 15, when the 50,000 Soviet troops remaining in Afghanistan are to withdraw under a U.N.-brokered accord.The Pakistan-based guerrilla leaders ended talks with Soviet Deputy Foreign Minsiter Yuli Vorontsov on Saturday, deadlocked over the composition of a post-war government but saying they were ready to meet again.
But Vorontsov later told reporters that Moscow would find a way to support its Marxist allies in Kabul if a broad-based government that includes communists is not in place Feb. 15.
Moslem insurgents, who have been fighting the Soviet-backed communist regime in Kabul for a decade, have unanimously rejected the participation of any of its members in a post-war government.
Monday, the spokesman for the U.S.-backed insurgents, Sibghatullah Mojaddidi told a news conference:
"Because the Soviets use threats, look for war rather than peace, and disrespect Afghans' right of self-determination, we believe that negotiations are unproductive and unnecessary.
"The Soviets have threatened that if their terms are not accepted they will supply new weapons, not deployed before, to (Afghan President) Najib's regime after the withdrawal," said Mojaddidi.