MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2020) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has praised the Afghan government for starting the "brave process" of releasing thousands of imprisoned Taliban militants as part of efforts to begin peace negotiations, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Monday.
"He [Pompeo] thanked the Afghan government for initiating the brave process of releasing up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners. He asserted that the U.S. will push for a long-term ceasefire/RiV [reduction in violence] and start of direct negotiations," Ghani wrote on Twitter, adding that the phone talks also involved High Council for National Reconciliation chief Abdullah Abdullah.
On Sunday, Ghani's spokesman Sediq Sediqqi announced that up to 2,000 Taliban militants would be released from prison as a goodwill gesture to the organization. The move followed the Taliban's announcement of a three-day ceasefire from Saturday to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Despite the signing of a peace deal between the US and the Taliban in February, violent clashes have continued in Afghanistan between government forces and the militant organization. Both sides committed to releasing prisoners in order to begin intra-Afghan talks with the hope of finding an end to the conflict that has raged on for decades.
