RFE/RL’s Radio Free Afghanistan June 18, 2018 Afghan peace activists have arrived in Kabul after trekking some 700 kilometers on foot calling for an end to Afghanistan’s nearly 17-year war. The Helmand Peace Convoy reached the Afghan capital on the morning of June 18 after traveling for almost 40 days, chanting slogans including “We want peace” and
Press TV June 17, 2018 A bomb attack has killed at least 32 people in Afghanistan’s eastern province of Nangarhar amid an announcement by the Taliban militants that they would not extend their temporary ceasefire with Afghan security forces and that fighting would resume in the crisis-hit country. The deadly explosion occurred outside the governor’s office
MOSCOW, June 17 (Sputnik) – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to take steps to prevent efforts to ruin peace process in the crisis-torn state, the press service of the UN chief said in a statement. On Saturday, media reported that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 15, 2018 ISLAMABAD — Warring sides in Afghanistan have temporarily ceased battlefield hostilities for the first time in nearly 18 years after a Taliban limited cease-fire went into effect on Friday. The Afghan government already has halted its counter-insurgency operations for a week starting from last Tuesday to encourage the Islamist
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 12, 2018 ISLAMABAD — The leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, renewed his call Tuesday for direct talks with the United States to end the war, dashing renewed hopes the insurgent group might be mulling to engage in a peace dialogue with the Kabul government. In his “message of felicitation” on
VOA News Ayaz Gul June 12, 2018 ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, traveled to Afghanistan Tuesday, where his high-powered delegation held talks with President Ashraf Ghani on bilateral and matters related to Afghan peacemaking efforts. A presidential spokesman in Kabul confirmed the talks but did not immediately share details. Bajwa undertook the
Mohammad Habibzada VOA News June 10, 2018 Hopes for direct peace talks are high in Afghanistan after the Taliban agreed to a unilateral cease-fire from the Afghan government. A former high-ranking Taliban official said the temporary peace deal could be extended and efforts for direct peace talks could be made. “It is even possible the
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 8, 2018 ISLAMABAD — The United States has confirmed it is asking Pakistan for help in facilitating the Afghan government’s direct peace talks with the Taliban insurgency. After months of strained relations and disruption in high-level mutual contacts, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week
Ayaz Gul VOA News June 7, 2018 ISLAMABAD — Afghanistan’s President, Ashraf Ghani has announced his forces will halt offensive operations next Tuesday until June 20 to encourage the Taliban to seek a peaceful resolution to the war. In a nationally televised speech Thursday, Ghani explained he has taken the unilateral move in response to an
Akmal Dawi VOA News June 4, 2018 At the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, a group of eight young men set off in Helmand province for a 600-kilometer march to the capital, Kabul, to press for peace. Like other Muslims observing Ramadan around the world, the men abstained from food and drink from