KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced an unconditionalceasefire with the Taliban until June 20, coinciding with the end of theMuslim fasting season, but excluded all other militant groups, such asIslamic State.
The decision came after a meeting of Islamic clerics from across thecountry this week who declared a *fatwa* on Taliban attacks. A suicidebombing claimed by Islamic State killed 14 people at the entrance to theclerics’ peace tent in Kabul.
The clerics recommended a ceasefire with the Taliban, who are seeking toreimpose strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001, and Ghani endorsedthe recommendation.
“This ceasefire is an opportunity for Taliban to introspect (sic) thattheir violent campaign is not winning them hearts and minds but furtheralienating,” Ghani said in a message on social network Twitter after atelevised address.
“With the ceasefire announcement, we epitomise the strength of the Afghangovernment and the will of the people for a peaceful resolution to theAfghan conflict.”
There was no immediate reaction from the Taliban.
On the government side, not everyone agreed.
Former army general Atiqullah Amarkhel said the ceasefire would give theTaliban a chance to regroup.
“From a military prospect, it is not a good move,” he told Reuters. “Itwill give the enemy the opportunity to prepare itself for more attacks.”
He also said he doubted the Taliban would lay down their arms and denythemselves the opportunity of fighting during the holy month of Ramadan inwhich attacks have intensified.
The Eidul Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramzan is at the end of next week.
Ghani in February offered recognition of the Taliban as a legitimatepolitical group in a proposed political process that he said could lead totalks to end more than 16 years of war.
Ghani proposed a ceasefire and a release of prisoners among a range ofoptions including new elections involving the militants and aconstitutional review in a pact with the Taliban to end a conflict thatlast year alone killed or wounded more than 10,000 civilians.
US President Donald Trump in August unveiled a more hawkish militaryapproach to Afghanistan, including a surge in air strikes, aimed at forcingthe Taliban to the negotiating table.
Afghan security forces say the impact has been significant, but the Talibanroam huge swaths of the country and, with foreign troop levels at about15,600 compared with 140,000 in 2014, there appears little hope of outrightmilitary victory.