The Taliban finally announced their spring offensive. In a statement released on Friday, the group announced the new offensive entitled, ‘Operation Al-Fatha’, which means victory, stating that a part of the operation will focus on encouraging desertion from Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). The Taliban launched massive attacks against Afghan forces and government installations in many areas of the country as they announced the new offensive, of which two attacks targeting Nangarhar’s Shirzad district center and security outposts around Kunduz city were more reflected on media.
With the fresh momentum in peace talks, it was expected that the Taliban would break with the past by not announcing their spring offensive or at least postponing it until the Doha conference, but the group acted contrary to public expectations. In their statement, the Taliban have tried to use the government’s announcement of Operations Khalid as a justification for the launch of the new offensive. Continued violence and fighting is condemnable no matter who is behind, especially now as Afghans have ever high hopes for peace after decades of destructive conflict. Whichever side insists on violence and uses the killing of Afghans as a means for political goals is reprehensible.
Insistence on violence concurrent with peace talks reduces chance of a negotiated settlement of Afghan conflict. The warring sides may intensify attacks to increase their leverage in peace talks, but it is indeed Afghans who bear the brunt of the escalation. If it allows them to have an upper hand in negotiations, it further alienates Afghan people, too. Regardless of which side commits violence, the result is challenging the peace process. This is against the wish and demand of Afghan people because they are the primary victims and this vicious phenomenon has plagued their lives.
Now that peace talks have had remarkable progress and all sides have come to the conclusion that the war doesn’t have a military solution, there is no need for a military muscle-flexing. All sides must come to the negotiating table and bargain with each other for acceptance of their legitimate and logical demands instead of resorting to violence and spilling Afghan blood in a bid to attain a strong political position. Afghan government, the United States, and Taliban must put an end to the ongoing bloodshed, and should not test the patience of the war-battered nation anymore.
