The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday asked the Taliban to immediately end its offensive and said seizing power through military forces is a losing proposition.
“I remind all parties of their obligation to protect civilians and I call on the Taliban to immediately end the offensive and return to the peace table,” Guterres said. “Afghanistan is spinning out of control,” he said. “Every day, the conflict is taking a bigger toll on civilians, especially women and children.”
He said that it is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them. “The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear. Seizing power through military force is a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan,” he added.
Indeed, Afghanistan is one of the countries that suffer from lack of development and basic requirements of life. Millions in the country can hardly acquire basic necessities of life. Through most part of its modern history the country has been dominated by wars and conflicts. Little efforts have been made in improving the standard of living of the people. Most of the people live in remote areas of the country where marginal attentions have been focused.
The international community and Afghanistan’s allies have to support Afghan state and nation in backing and maintaining democratic achievements and pressure the warring sides to respect the rights and dignity of people and do not shed the blood of the civilians.
Since Afghans have paid heavy sacrifices within the last two decades, there should be enough supports for them and their rights and liberties have to be defined as red line in the peace talks. Afghans’ achievements should be safeguarded, and their rights and freedoms must not be compromised.
Afghans need to be free to play their social, cultural, political and economic role without restrictions. Hence, after leaving social and political ups and downs behind and paying heavy sacrifices, Afghans will not backtrack.
Although achieving peace has long been a dream of the Afghan people, the prospect of peace and security is not clear in Afghanistan. After forty years of war and conflicts, and after more than one decade of formal and informal peace efforts, there is no promising evidence to show a clear perspective for peace in the country.
So far, the outcome of the peace process has been only the intensification of war and target killings. Therefore, the outlook of peace is not only dark for the ordinary people of Afghanistan but also for the top politicians of the country.
Afghans have continued to suffer due to prolonged war and interferences of the foreign countries. As per the UN Chief recent remarks, Afghanistan is at critical stage and therefore all efforts should be made to promote sense of peace and ease a safe and sound environment for the war-suffered nation. If there would be no regional and international supports as well as if there would be no national unity, then Afghanistan may continue to see instability and the Afghan people would once again live-in darkness and all their achievements would be undermined.
Peace in Afghanistan requires national will, regional and int’l supports
