WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2018) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the Afghan governments decision to cease hostilities with the Taliban Islamist movement for three months.
On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a conditional ceasefire with the Taliban, which would begin on Monday and last until November 19. However, the president stressed that the ceasefire would be established only if the radical movement agreed to cease hostilities. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has already welcomed Ghanis initiative.
�The United States welcomes the announcement by the Afghan government of a ceasefire conditioned on Taliban participation. This plan responds to the clear and continued call of the Afghan people for peace,� Pompeo said on Sunday.
The secretary of state called on the Taliban to join the ceasefire regime.
�The United States and our international partners support this initiative by the Afghan people and the Afghan government, and we call on the Taliban to participate. It is our hope, and that of the international community, that the Afghan people may celebrate Eid al-Adha this year in peace, free from fear,� Pompeo noted.
The US official also reaffirmed the US support for the possible negotiating process between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
�The United States supports President Ghani's offer for comprehensive negotiations on a mutually agreed agenda. �We remain ready to support, facilitate, and participate in direct negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. There are no obstacles to talks. It is time for peace,� Pompeo added.
On June 7, Ghani declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban from June 11 to June 19 to mark Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. On June 17, the Afghan president prolonged the ceasefire for another 10 days. The radical movement ceased hostilities for three days of the Eid truce but rejected the government's request to prolong the ceasefire.
Afghanistan's government forces have long been fighting Taliban insurgency, as well as the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, outlawed in Russia), with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conducting joint counterterrorist operations across the country.
