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AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT-PEACE-POLITICS
Afghanistan loya jirga demands ‘immediate and permanent’ ceasefire
KABUL, May 3, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A historic “loya jirga” peace summit in
Kabul ended Friday with delegates from across Afghanistan demanding an
immediate and permanent ceasefire — and President Ashraf Ghani saying he was
conditionally prepared to implement one.
This week’s loya jirga, or grand assembly, saw about 3,200 religious and
tribal leaders, politicians and representatives try to find a breakthrough in
Afghanistan’s gruelling conflict, which is now in its 18th year.
“The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban
movement should declare and implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire,”
delegates said in a declaration at the end of the jirga.
They said the ceasefire should start at the beginning of the holy month of
Ramadan, which gets underway in the coming days.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was “prepared to implement the fair
and legitimate demand” for a ceasefire but stressed it “cannot be one-sided”.
“If the Taliban are fully ready for a ceasefire, then we can talk about
the technical details,” Ghani said in a speech.
The president also promised to release 175 Taliban prisoners as a gesture
of “goodwill”.
The Taliban are currently negotiating in separate talks with a US peace
envoy in Qatar.
They have so far refused to even speak with Ghani, who they view as an
American stooge.
Last year, however, the Taliban announced a three-day ceasefire at the end
of Ramadan after Ghani declared a unilateral truce for eight days earlier in
the month.
It was first formal nationwide ceasefire since the US-led invasion of 2001
and saw unprecedented scenes of reconciliation and jubilation across the
country.
This week’s rare summit, the first of its kind since 2013, saw emotions
riding high as attendees shared tears, recriminations and at least one fist
fight as they revisited the horrors of Afghanistan’s recent past, and
contemplated peace with their longtime foe. – Doha talks –
The talks between the Taliban and US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad focus on
a potential deal that would see the withdrawal of foreign forces from
Afghanistan in return for the Taliban guaranteeing terrorist groups could no
longer operate in the country.
Huge swathes of Afghan society worry that if the US does make a deal with
the Taliban, the militant Islamists would try to seize power and undo
advances in women’s rights, media freedoms, and legal protections.
Such concerns were prominent at the jirga, where hundreds of women were in
attendance outlining their “red lines” for any negotiations with the Taliban.
The declaration at the end of the event said the rights of all Afghans should
be preserved.
“We don’t want such a peace that women’s rights are not respected, freedom
of expression are not ensured, elections are not held,” committee member
Faizullah Jalal told the summit.
Khalilzad said on Twitter that he had told the Taliban “that the Afghan
people, who are their brothers & sisters, want this war to end. It is time to
put down arms, stop the violence, & embrace peace.”
The Taliban responded on Twitter by saying Khalilzad “should forget about
the idea of us putting down our arms”.
“Instead of such fantasies, he should drive the idea home (to the US)
about ending the use of force & incurring further human & financial losses
for the decaying Kabul administration,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid
tweeted.
This year’s jirga proved controversial, with opposition figures slamming
it as an election campaign event for Ghani.
Among those boycotting were Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a notorious former warlord. Both men are running for
president in elections slated for September.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s war rages on, with thousands of civilians and
fighters being killed each year.
US forces continue to train Afghan partners on the ground and strike the
Taliban from the air, in a bid to push the war to a political settlement.
BSS/AFP/RY/1545 hrs