The United States has called on the Taliban “to engage in serious negotiations” after the group’s insistence that they will not agree on ceasefire and peace unless there is an agreement on a new government in Afghanistan.
“We call on the Taliban to engage in serious negotiations to determine a political roadmap for Afghanistan’s future that leads to a just and durable settlement,” US State Department’s deputy spokesperson Jalina Porter said.
“A negotiated settlement between the Islamic Republic and the Taliban is the only way to end 40 years of war and bring Afghans to peace that they seek and deserve,” she added.
She said that the world will not accept the imposition by force of a government in Afghanistan, adding that “legitimacy and assistance for any Afghan government can only be possible if that government has a basic right, basic respect excuse me for human rights.”
Porter also underscored that the violence must end against the Afghans who worked alongside Americans in the Afghanistan war.
“Recent reports of violence and atrocities against interpreters and other Afghans indicate local Taliban forces are showing little regard for human life and human rights on the ground,” she said. “We vehemently condemn these targeted attacks, the destruction of vital infrastructure, as well as other attacks against the people of Afghanistan.”
CNN on Friday reported that an Afghan interpreter for US Army was beheaded by the Taliban in May.
“The Taliban must go beyond issuing statements denying territorial offenses and targeted attacks,” Porter said. “If this is truly not Taliban policy, their leadership should condemn these atrocities and violations of basic rights.”
She said the Taliban “must proactively prevent their forces from carrying out these actions on the ground, reiterating on US’s call for an immediate end to ongoing violence.
This comes as in an interview with The Associated Press, Suhail Shaheen, Taliban spokesman and a member of the group’s negotiating team, said the Taliban will lay down their weapons when a negotiated government acceptable to all sides in the conflict is installed in Kabul and Ghani’s government is gone.
