ISLAMABAD -- The Taliban and Afghanistan's president announced late Saturday a three-day cease-fire ahead of a major Islamic holiday that begins today to mark the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
The Taliban order, which was soon followed by an announcement via Twitter from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani saying that the government "extends the offer of peace," just days after U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad was in Kabul and Doha.
Khalilzad on his trip urged the Taliban and the Afghan government to reduce violence and move ahead with intra-Afghan negotiations, a key pillar of a U.S. peace deal with the Taliban signed in February to allow American troops to leave Afghanistan. The deal was also touted at the time as Afghanistan's best chance for peace after nearly four decades of war.
The cease-fire announcement follows an Eid al-Fitr message from the Taliban leader that said the insurgent group was committed to the peace deal, was not seeking to monopolize power, and promised to guarantee the rights of women and men under an Islamic system. The directive ordered Taliban fighters not to fight but also not to fraternize with Afghan national security forces. The instructions seemed intended to avoid images that circulated during the cease-fire in 2018, also during Eid celebrations, including Taliban fighters sharing ice cream and laughing with Afghan soldiers.
The U.S. military in Afghanistan welcomed the announcement saying "we reiterate our call for the militaries of all sides to reduce violence to allow the peace process to take hold."
A Section on 05/24/2020