KABUL – Afghan Taliban lash out against Afghanistan government over thepeace talks delays.
Amid a prolonged delay in intra-Afghan negotiations, the Taliban on Sundayaccused the Afghan government of creating “hurdles” in the way of the peaceprocess, saying the US and NATO have also fallen short in implementing thepeace agreement the group signed with the United States in late February.
The Taliban made the statement in response to international calls for ahumanitarian ceasefire and a reduction in violence, which were echoed by amessage from President Ashraf Ghani on Friday, the eve of the holy month ofRamadan, appealing to the Taliban to call a ceasefire, especiallyconsidering how the coronavirus was spreading throughout the country.
The Taliban said that the Afghan government’s calling for a ceasefire is“not rational and convincing” while the peace process is being impeded bythe Afghan government and while it is not fully implemented.
“The interests of the (Afghan government) are in the continuation of the ofwar,” the Taliban claimed, adding “ (The Afghan government) startedcreating hurdles on the way of the implementation of the agreement from thebeginning.”
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The group clarified that, so far, the government has postponed the prisonerrelease, has not formed an inclusive negotiations team and has not beenable to end the internal rift, referring to the dispute between PresidentGhani and Abdullah Abdullah.
The group also said the US, NATO and its allies have not played their rolein the implementation of the agreement.
Responding to the Taliban statement, presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqiin a series of tweets on Sunday afternoon that the Taliban is stillinsisting on fighting against the people of Afghanistan despite repeatedcalls by the Afghan government, the country’s religious scholars,international organizations, NATO and the European Union.
