UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, November 24 urged for an 'immediate, unconditional ceasefire' in Afghanistan to build a conducive environment for Doha peace talks with the Taliban. His appeal came at the time when Afghanistan is beset by violence between the Taliban and government forces along with rampant corruption and an immediate withdrawal of US forces.

According to Al Jazeera reports, Guterres while addressing the virtual global donor conference in Geneva said an inclusive process, in which women, young people and victims of conflict are meaningfully represented, offers the best hope of sustainable peace.

He further added that the progress toward peace will contribute to the development of the entire region, and is an important step towards the safe, orderly and dignified return of millions of displaced Afghans. Meanwhile, the Afghan government and the Taliban have been engaged in peace talks in Qatar since September 12; however, no progress has been announced so far.

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Ghani urges continued support 

Earlier in the day, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also urged the international community to continue supporting Afghanistan as there are possibilities that the donor nations may cut aid to the country under the COVID-19 strain. Ghani from Kabul said the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us all into a state of global uncertainty. He further expressed his gratitude to the donors for their strong commitment to Afghanistan. 

Every four years, the donor nations meet to pledge aid to Afghanistan, which is almost entirely reliant on foreign assistance despite years of promised reforms and attempts to grow the economy. However, the 2020 donor conference could see less aid pledged as countries battle to recover from the devastating effect of COVID-19. The previous 2016 conference in Brussels raised $15.2 billion.

According to the report, concerns are high that gains made in the past 20 years, especially in the area of women’s rights, could be lost as the Taliban unleashes further violence. To this, Ghani clarified that his administration's commitment to negotiations with the Taliban remains firm. He further acknowledged that violence had skyrocketed since a US-Taliban deal in February paved the way for the withdrawal of foreign forces by May 2021.

Ghani further went on to say that plans to achieve peace did not materialise as expected. Suffering and killing continue to plague Afghans on a daily basis. It is unbearable, he added.

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