KABUL (SW) – U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation has urged the warring parties in Afghanistan to end violence.
In a series of tweets, Zalmay Khalilzad lamented that civilians still suffer from IEDs, targeted assassinations, and other consequences of the ongoing war. He said to protect civilians, all sides must act now to end the violence. "This violence has generated a violent response from the ANDSF (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces). The result is an escalatory cycle which is complex but inarguably a negative trend that must be reversed", he tweeted.
The U.S. envoy added that both the Taliban and the government need to accelerate efforts to release prisoners and lower violence, which is the fastest means to intra-Afghan negotiations and a comprehensive permanent ceasefire. "Delay means more civilian losses from Afghans fighting each other when the real war should be Afghans united against COVID-19".
Earlier this month, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documented a total of 1,293 civilian casualties (533 killed and 760 injured) in Afghanistan during the first three months of the year, underscoring the heavy toll the conflict continues to inflict on the civilian population.
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