Ghani calls on foreign community to ramp up pressure on Taliban

President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday urged the international community and regional nations to put pressure on the Taliban and their supporters to reach a political settlement.

Addressing a follow-up workshop on the Geneva summit commitments in Kabul, Ghani raised the issue of the high levels of violence currently gripping the country.

He said the escalation in violence by the Taliban has proven the legitimacy of the Republic.

“As the violence escalates, so has the legitimacy of the Republic as proven and respected. The clear need for positive and comprehensive pressure on the Taliban and their supporters has emerged as a regional and international necessity,” Ghani said.

Ghani emphasized that the world understands that Afghanistan has been subjected to a wave of violent attacks, but that the solution is not violence.
“Violence is not a political solution, a political solution requires a comprehensive agreement in which an independent, free and nationally united Afghanistan exists where every woman, man and young person in Afghanistan considers themselves the owner of Afghanistan,” Ghani said.

Ghani’s comments came just hours after the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) released a Lessons Learned report that stated:”The Taliban have engaged in peace talks with representatives of the Afghan government as foreign troops leave Afghanistan. The Taliban continue to maintain ties with al-Qaeda, and al-Qaeda members are integrated into the ranks and structures of the Taliban.”

On a similar note, General Scott Miller, the commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan said this week “if the violence isn’t reduced, it’s going to make a peace process very, very difficult; it would be very difficult for any side to make the necessary compromises.”