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Political Leaders Attend 2nd Meeting of Reconciliation Council
AT News
KABUL: The second meeting of the leadership committee of High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) held on Saturday, leading by Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the council, the leaders focused on the Afghan peace process, calling on the Afghan negotiating team to carry the talks with Taliban from a united position.
Addressing the meeting, Chairman of the HCNR, Dr. Abdullah said that the Leadership Committee (LC)’s meeting is to demonstrate unity, and unanimous support for the peace process, and the republic’s negotiation team, referring to the HCNR as the only body to represent the peace efforts.
“The negotiation will resume on the 5th of January 2021, and the venue for the talks should not be an obstacle,” Abdullah said.
He assured support to the Afghan peace negotiators and said they will hold LC meetings on regular bases in their support.
“You are representing the Republic of Afghanistan, you can enter into talks with Taliban and discuss all the topics of the agenda. You have to demonstrate that peace is a priority for the republic,” Mr. Abdullah said.
Addressing the meeting, Former President, Hamid Karzai lauded Afghan negotiating team, saying that the both sides had tried best to lead the negation to a success. Mr. Karzai said that the negotiating team “did a great job” in the negotiations and that Afghans are in urgent need of peace. He assured his full support and cooperation to the peace process.
In his part, First Vice President, Amrullah Saleh termed Afghan war as complicated and that its external dimensions are much bigger than its internal dimensions. He clearly said that the ongoing peace talks will be further complicated if the Taliban keep killing elders, journalists and civil society activists.
“For the first time in our modern history we are willing to solve our big issue through political means,” Mr. Saleh said.
Jihadi Leader, Abdul Rab Rasool Sayaf expressed strong resolve for peace, saying peace delegation has been appointed because all the people are desperately waiting for peace.
He called for joint peace efforts instead of individual attempts. “Everyone should support the republic negotiation team and stop individual efforts. We all must send our message through the official channel of the negotiating team.”
Former Vice President, Mohammad Yunos Qanooni has insisted over more inclusivity of the LC. He asked for women’s presence in the meetings of the LC, and their role should be strengthened. “Afghan masses are sacrificing in the war on a daily basis, and both sides have to show flexibility to move the talks forward.”
The meeting had two parts – before the media and behind closed doors.
The first meeting of the leadership committee of HCNR held on December 5th at the Presidential Palace, where political and Jihadi leaders were in participated and collectively support the Afghan peace process in a bid to end the long decades of war.
Needless to mention that the negotiating team agreed are currently in a short break and will resume talks on 5th January.
Violence has been intensified across the country and more than 487 civilians have been killed and 1,049 others received injuries during three months of grave violence conducted.
35 suicide attacks and 507 mine explosions were occurred during the same period of time. The casualties inflicted on civilians in parallel with the peace negotiation conducted by the negotiation teams of the government and Taliban in Qatari capital of Doha. Unfortunately, Afghanistan has recently been hit by a high level of violence as both sides try to gain leverage at the negotiation table.
The upward trend in violence has to be stopped and both sides must agree on reduction of violence once they again meet on 5th of January.
