Ashraf Ghani: departing Afghan president who failed to make peace with Taliban

FILE PHOTO: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks at the parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan August 2, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

KABUL (Reuters) -Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the presidential palace in Kabul on Sunday to the insurgent Taliban fighters who had toppled his government in a matter of weeks, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed.

Twice elected president, both times after bitterly disputed contests, the former World Bank academic left the country without saying where he was going. Al Jazeera reported later he had flown to Uzbekistan.