Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Most Afghan people believe that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process can put an end to the current war between the government and Taliban group, a survey conducted by the Center for Strategic and Regional Studies (CSRS) shows.
The survey entitled ‘Peace Stalemate and Solutions’ was conducted in six provinces including Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, Balkh and Kunduz. The results were released on Saturday at a meeting in Kabul. A big number of the respondents also have said that government has no real will in bringing peace in the country.
The result of the survey shows:
- 83.8% of the respondents said the current war has no winner and it can only be stopped by bringing about peace.
- 67.4% of the respondents said the government has no real will to bring about peace and that is why the process has not been successful.
- 76.3% of the respondents believe that the High Peace Council cannot play the role of a real peace negotiation mediator between the government and the Taliban.
- 78.8% of the respondents have said that the peace process success depends on having an impartial mediator.
- 90.2% of the respondents believe that the Afghan-lead peace process can bring peace the country.
“The survey was conducted in six provinces by interviewing 2 000 educated people and commentators who are university lecturers and work in peace institutions,” director of the CSRS Abdul Baqi Amin said.
Meanwhile, a senior member of the Hizb-e-Islami Amin Karim said peace won’t come to the country unless government accepted the Taliban as part of Afghanistan society and ended the current power monopoly.
“Those who have established a system to eliminate their political opponents with foreign troops are in power because of the presence of the foreigners. They have monopolized power; how will they now accept that their political rivals share power with them? Will they become ready to break the power monopolization and share the power with a big number of people by bringing peace,” asked Karim.
Former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef meanwhile said the war on Taliban has been imposed and they have not any political office, TOLONews reported. According to Zaeef, the new US strategy for Afghanistan won’t lead the country to anywhere and it will not succeed.
“Their (Taliban) houses have been destroyed, their villages have been ruined and they have left their country (home). This has not been something they have chosen and still, it is not their choice, but this war has been imposed on them. In this imposed war, Taliban have been kept in circumstances where they don’t have own control,” said Zaeef.
Meanwhile, the attendees of the meeting on Saturday in Kabul said in the last one year 15 000 civilians have been killed in the war in Afghanistan.
