Afghanistan has been at war, with various phases of combatants, for 40 years. The long war has been devastating and destructive to the people and the infrastructure of the country.
All major parties to the current conflict truly want an end to the long violence. And yet, the rhetoric from the parties in support of peace, is much stronger than the actions they have taken.
Both the U.S.-supported Afghan government, and the Taliban, have had a strategy of seeking territorial gains in battle, to put themselves in stronger negotiating position for an eventual settlement. The stalemated destruction of the war just continues in this way.
A new report, Incremental peace in Afghanistan, issued by the British NGO Conciliation Resources, has an excellent overview of the historical and current situation. It recommends an incremental path away from the long violence.
A radical new approach is needed in Afghanistan to build peace step-by-step. There needs to be a move beyond peace rhetoric, through a progressive, step-by-step process towards a political settlement which builds stability, confidence and legitimacy over time. The short-term objective should be a reduction in violence. The long-term objective should be to achieve a more inclusive peace process that is representative of, and endorsed by, Afghan society as a whole. In this Accord, contributors including Afghan and international men and women from academia, the military, government, armed opposition and civil society, examine the prospects for peace in the country, and how this could be achieved.
In line with this incremental method, President Ashraf Ghani has announced a temporary ceasefire in the war against the Taliban. Important aspects are:
- The ceasefire extends from June 12 to 21.
- It is unilaterally announced. The Taliban has not responded to the announcement yet.
- The U.S. supports the ceasefire.
- The ceasefire does not extend to the war with ISIS.
Here are extracts from some news coverage, selected to highlight various angles:
It's been rare, over the past 17 years of conflict in Afghanistan, to see any particularly bold movements toward peace. So Ashraf Ghani's announcement Thursday that he would observe a weeklong ceasefire with the Taliban was a dramatic departure from the pattern, even if only for a week. And the gesture follows up the Afghan leader’s unconditional offer of talks with the Taliban in February. In neither case, so far, has the Taliban responded, but both offers hint at the tantalizing prospect of change in a long-stalemated conflict.
‘An Opportunity for the Taliban’, Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic
President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced a ceasefire with the Taliban after a religious scholars meeting in Kabul on Monday where they issued a fatwa against the ongoing war in the country.
Afghan Govt Announces Ceasefire With Taliban, Tolo News
The clerics also recommended a ceasefire with the Taliban, who are seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001, and Ghani endorsed the recommendation, announcing a laying down of arms until June 20.
Ghani has urged ceasefires with the Taliban before, but this was the first unconditional offer since he was elected in 2014.
Afghanistan announces Eid ceasefire with Taliban until June 20, Hamid Shalizi, Reuters
An Afghan official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the government would extend the period of the truce if the Taliban abides by its terms.
“This cease-fire is an opportunity for Taliban to reflect on the fact that their violent campaign is not winning them hearts and minds but further alienating the Afghan people from their cause,” Ghani said. “With the cease-fire announcement, we epitomize the strength of the Afghan government and the will of the people to achieve a peaceful resolution to the Afghan conflict.”
Afghan president declares temporary cease-fire with Taliban in new peace effort, Sayed Salahuddin and Missy Ryan, Washington Post
Pakistan, which exerts strong influence on Afghanistan's Taliban, was apparently heavily engaged prior to this announcement, according to US officials. They say that through Pakistani back channels and other mechanisms, the Taliban had expressed interest in the pause in hostilities.
A US defense official said the Haqqani network, an offshoot of the Taliban that is based in Pakistan, will not be targeted if it abides by the ceasefire.
The 10-day temporary ceasefire comes at a time when there aren't likely to be many military operations because of the Muslim holiday.
Afghanistan announces temporary ceasefire with the Taliban, Ehsan Popalzai and Judith Vonberg, CNN
The United Nations and representatives of European countries in Afghanistan welcomed the news of the cease-fire. Still, many diplomats said privately that they were caught off guard by the announcement, and senior Afghan officials struggled to explain the sudden move.
Many American military officers advising Afghan units were also caught by surprise, hearing of the cease-fire only hours before it was announced.