After a surge in hostilities in Afghanistan over the past weeks, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomed on Monday the Government’s announcement of a conditional ceasefire for the Eid al-Adha holiday and called on warring parties to use this “momentum” to put an end to the conflict, reported Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
“A mutual ceasefire would further the prospects for talks to take place between the parties to the conflict to find a political settlement,” said UNAMA chief Tadamichi Yamamoto in response to the Government’s announcement of the pause, which reportedly would begin today, UN official website reported.
If it holds, this would be the second ceasefire between the Government and the Taliban to be respected since the conflict started in Afghanistan almost 20 years ago, following a brief pause in mid-June during the three-day Eid al-Fitr celebrations.
“It is important to seize all opportunities for a negotiated end to the conflict so that all Afghans can enjoy the life of peace they so desperately want and need,” said Yamamoto, the top UN official in Afghanistan during the Eid al-Adha holiday.
In July, UNAMA released figures highlighting the tragic toll the conflict has had on civilians, revealing that the first half of 2018 was the deadliest for Afghans since UNAMA began documenting civilian casualties in 2009
Image Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe