Afghan President Calls for Ceasefire to End War with Taliban

The Afghan government has formed a 12-member team to hold peace talks with the Taliban, President Ashraf Ghani announced in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday.

Ariana News Agency- Ashraf Ghani’s peace offer comes as US has begun to engage Taliban in talks to end 17-year-old war. “I’m pleased to announce today that after several months of intensive consultation with our citizens across the country, we have formulated a road map for peace negotiations,” he said at the two-day United Nations conference on Afghanistan to renew a process of development and reform.

“The constitutional rights and obligations, of all citizens, especially women, should be ensured,” Ghani said.

The Afghan leader also announced that the negotiating team will be led by presidential chief of staff Salam Rahimi and will include men and women with the “necessary credentials to deal with the key challenges of peace negotiations”.

Ghani said he is hoping for a peace agreement in which the Taliban would be included in a democratic and inclusive society, but added that no organisation that has ties with “terrorist networks” will be allowed to join the political process.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called the plan “a courageous peace offer to the Taliban”, adding that it offered “unique opportunities to break the stalemate and move the country forward”.

“I underline forward, not backwards, because this is an unconditional offer for peace talks, but it is not unconditional as a result of peace talks that can be started,” she said.

This week’s summit is billed as a platform for the Afghan government to renew its commitment to reform and discuss aid contributions in its bid to achieve stability and security.