MONITORING (SW) – The UN Security Council has called for immediate end to the assassination spree of civilians in Afghanistan.
The members of the Security Council urged all parties to the Afghan conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances, including those related to the protection of civilians.
It said in a statement a sustainable peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process that aims at a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, as well as an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict in Afghanistan.
The Security Council decried the “heinous attacks,” noting the dramatic increase since the talks began while urging the parties to commit to “confidence-building measures, including reductions in violence, and to continue to engage in good faith.”
The perpetrators, the council said, must be brought “to justice,” and noted that targeted killing of civilians “may constitute war crimes.”
“The members of the Security Council recalled that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances, including those related to the protection of civilians,” it said in a statement.
“A sustainable peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process that aims at a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, as well as an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict in Afghanistan,” it added.
Figures by the UN’s Assistance Mission in Afghanistan suggests 3,035 civilians were killed and 5,785 injured in 2020, with a significant rise in targeted assassinations since talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban began in September.
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