KABUL: The Taliban have dismissed a government call for a Ramadan ceasefirein Afghanistan, saying a truce is “not rational” as they ramp up attacks ongovernment forces.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appealed to the militants to lay down theirarms for the Islamic holy month that began Friday, as the country battlesthe growing coronavirus pandemic.
But the Taliban’s spokesman Suhail Shaheen tweeted late Thursday tolambaste the government’s offer, citing ongoing disagreements over apotential peace process and a delayed prisoner exchange as reasons to keepfighting.
“Asking for ceasefire is not rational and convincing,” wrote Shaheen as heaccused the government of putting prisoners’lives at risk during theoutbreak.
Under a landmark US-Taliban deal signed earlier this year, the Afghangovernment and the insurgents were by now supposed to have concluded aprisoner swap and started talks aimed at bringing about a comprehensiveceasefire.
The latest round of bickering comes after dozens of Afghan security forcespersonnel were killed in a fresh wave of violence launched by theinsurgents this week.The attacks have mostly been limited to rural areasand small towns. Under the US-Taliban deal, the insurgents have agreed notto attack cities.
American and other foreign forces have pledged to quit Afghanistan by July2021 provided the Taliban stick to several security guarantees and holdtalks with the government.
Ghani has been calling for a lasting ceasefire with the Taliban for years,only to be ignored by the increasingly emboldened insurgents.
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The Taliban instead have mocked Ghani’s government, referring to them as”puppets” controlled by foreign powers, and have roundly refused to engagein peace talks as they intensify attacks on Afghan forces.NATO urges Taliban to cut violence levels and join peace talks
The US-led NATO alliance called on Friday for Afghanistan’s Talibanmilitants to cut violence levels and join peace talks, saying prisonerreleases should also be speeded up.
The Taliban have rejected an Afghan government call for a ceasefire for theMuslim holy month of Ramadan, raising concerns about a peace process afterTaliban and the United States struck a deal in February on the withdrawalof U.S.-led foreign forces.
“The current level of violence caused by the Taliban is not acceptable,”alliance ambassadors in NATO’s North Atlantic Council said in a statementon the peace efforts.
“We welcome the establishment of an inclusive negotiating team to representthe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. We call on the Taliban to enternegotiations with this team without further delay, which is considered akey element of the U.S.-Taliban agreement,” the NATO statement said.-APP/AFP
