The United States on Saturday expressed its support for Kabul’s offer to extend ceasefire with the Taliban insurgents and launch negotiations, saying all Afghans will benefit from an end to bloodshed.
“We support President Ghani’s offer to extend the ceasefire and begin peace talks,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement following President Ashraf Ghani’s offer to extend the ceasefire with the Taliban militia, who have launched a fierce insurgency in the conflict-hit country.
“As President Ghani emphasized in his statement to the Afghan people, peace talks by necessity would include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces,” Pompeo noted.
“The United States is prepared to support, facilitate, and participate in these discussions,” he added.
While Afghan people and the Taliban celebrated Eid with a ceasefire and hugs, a car bomb on Saturday, claimed by ISIS, pointed to other security challenges for the landlocked country, which has been in a state of conflict for about four decades. The bombing killed 26 people, according to reports. ISIS or Daesh, which has been beaten badly in Syria and Iraq – the countries where it originated – militant sympathizers of the terror outfit have found a foothold in Afghanistan, multiplying the country’s security challenges.
Yet, analysts see a ray of hope in the ceasefire between Kabul and the Afghan Taliban, who reportedly control large swathes of the country.
NATO, which under U.S. command, has committed massive resources to the Afghan war launched in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks, has also expressed its support for the Afghan ceasefire.
Following is Secretary Pompeo’s full statement as released by the State Department:
“The United States extends its best wishes to the people of Afghanistan in celebration of Eid al-Fitr. We welcome the ceasefire during the period of Eid. The Afghan people this year are spending the Eid holidays with their families with renewed hope of peace.
We support President Ghani’s offer to extend the ceasefire and begin peace talks. As President Ghani emphasized in his statement to the Afghan people, peace talks by necessity would include a discussion of the role of international actors and forces. The United States is prepared to support, facilitate, and participate in these discussions.
All of Afghanistan’s people benefit from the end of bloodshed, and we have seen the overwhelmingly positive reaction from Afghans across society. We have seen pictures of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan soldiers and police with Taliban fighters offering prayers for Eid side by side. If Afghans can pray together, their leaders can talk together and resolve their differences.
Agreeing to begin peace talks is an expression of determination to create a unified Afghanistan in which all its citizens can live in peace and dignity. The United States stands ready to work with the Afghan government, the Taliban, and all the people of Afghanistan to reach a peace agreement and political settlement that brings a permanent end to this war.”
