Kabul (BNA) The US embassy on Thursday has called on the Taliban and all parties “to immediately end the violence and agree to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.”
“We call on the Taliban and all parties to immediately end the violence, agree to a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, and engage fully in peace negotiations to end the suffering of the Afghan people,” the embassy said.
“Pave the way to an inclusive political settlement that benefits all Afghans and ensures that Afghanistan does not again serve as a safe haven for terrorists,” it said.
This comes as the diplomatic missions to Afghanistan in a joint statement on Monday also called on the Taliban to end the “ongoing military offensive which thwarts efforts to arrive at a negotiated solution to the conflict and harms and displaces civilians.”
The statement was issued by the following missions: Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the EU delegation, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
“We condemn the continued targeted killings taking place throughout Afghanistan, the destruction of vital infrastructure, and threats, declarations, and other actions against the gains Afghans have made over the last twenty years, gains which we have strongly supported,” it said.
The statement from the missions also said that the Taliban’s offensive is in direct contradiction to the group’s claim to support a negotiated settlement to the conflict and to the Doha peace process.
“It has resulted in loss of innocent Afghan lives, including through continued targeted killings, displacement of the civilian population, looting and burning of buildings, destruction of vital infrastructure, and damage to communication networks,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, Russian envoy Zamir Kabulov said that the Talban’s violence has increased but the group is ready to seek a political settlement for the conflict.
He said that there is a possibility that the Taliban in the future will take over the cities, but the group will not have the capacity to maintain their control. “I think they are fed up with war, they now realize that they have to look for a political solution,” said Kabulov. “Taliban at the moment fears to seize control in the major centers,” said Kabulov.
In response to remarks by Kabulov, the Afghan foreign ministry in a statement on Thursday said if Mr. Kabulov has credible information, he should share it with the Afghan government.
The ministry said that the Taliban does not believe in resolving the Afghan crisis politically. “If Mr. Kabulov has access to credible information and findings showing that the Taliban’s real intention is to resolve the conflict peacefully, share it with us so we can make further progress in the peace process,” it added.
