Daily Times

The Afghan Taliban on Sunday accused the United States and the Afghan government of not honouring the agreement with them.

The Taliban also snubbed countries, international organisations and the Afghan government for calls on the insurgents to either declare a ceasefire or reduce violence in Ramazan amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As the Taliban have increased attacks on the Afghan forces in recent days, top American commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller on Sunday met Afghan defence minister Asadullah Khalid to discuss security and Taliban attacks, US military spokesman Col Sonny Leggett said.

The Afghan government said on Saturday that the Taliban fighters have carried out 2,804 attacks since they have signed agreement with the United States in February and killed 789 civilians during this period.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the government’s claim of civilian deaths as propaganda and accused the Afghan forces of killing civilians in airstrikes and indiscriminate shelling.

American special envoy for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad also renewed his appeal of warring sides to stop fighting in Ramazan and in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Similarly, Ramadan offers the Taliban an opportunity to embrace a humanitarian ceasefire to reduce violence and suspend offensive military operations until the health crisis is over,” Khalilzad said in a series of tweets on Sunday.

“Both sides must also accelerate the release of prisoners. The war on COVID-19 makes it urgent and will also aid the peace process including getting intra-Afghan negotiations underway,” he said amid slow pace of release of Taliban prisoners, which is one of the major factors behind increasing Taliban attacks.

The Taliban once again refused to accept calls for ceasefire and said they have “executed responsibilities regarding peace and end of hostilities”, adding the agreement signed by the Taliban with the United States was to lay a roadmap to finding a peaceful resolution to the 19-year conflict.

Zabihullah Mujahid said the intra-Afghan negotiations, which were scheduled to begin on March 10, itself would have laid the groundwork for peace, security and end of hostilities and perhaps we would have made major progress on it till now.

“But as the interests of the Kabul administration lie in the continuation of war hence it began creating hurdles for agreement implementation from the very first day, has delayed the prisoner exchange process till this day and has failed at announcing an inclusive team and resolving its internal disagreements,” Mujahid said in a statement.

“Moreover, America, NATO and their supporters have also failed in executing their responsibilities vis-à-vis implementation of articles of the agreement,” he said, adding “Contrarily, NATO provided millions of rounds of ammunition to the Kabul administration with the aim of intensifying and continuing the war which itself is a provocative step.”

He said demanding a ceasefire and reduction in violence at a time when the opposite side is not executing its own obligations is both illogical and opportunistic. He said the Taliban seek progress in peace and security in accordance with the contents of the agreement and that is the sole path which can lead the Taliban and the US to an end of war and Afghans towards the establishment of peace.

Presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said that the Taliban’s recent attacks on security forces and civilians show that they are not willing to reduce violence against the government but to continue violence.

Sediqqi said Taliban insisted on continuation of fighting despite ceasefire appeals in the holy month by the Afghan government, OIC, UN, NATO, EU and religious scholars.

Meanwhile American military spokesman said Col Sonny Leggett that Gen Scott Miller and Afghan Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid met with coalition and Afghan military leaders in northern Afghanistan to discuss security operations, including the ongoing Taliban violence.

“USFOR-A (US Forces-Afghanistan) is committed to our support for ANDSF & we continue to work together despite #COVID19,” Col Leggett wrote on Twitter.