World will not accept a govt imposed by force: US

KABUL (Pajhwok): The US has again called on the Taliban to end ongoing violence after media reports of their offensives and attacks, the country’s embassy in Kabul said on Thursday.

“As we see media reporting and firsthand accounts of Taliban offensives and attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure in Afghanistan, we continue to call for an end to the ongoing violence, which is largely driven by the Taliban,” reads a statement from the US Embassy in Kabul.

As US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said, “The world will not accept the imposition … by force of a government in Afghanistan. Legitimacy and assistance for any Afghan government can only be possible if that government has respect for human rights, if that government has credibility, if that government has legitimacy, including in the eyes of its own people.”

Over the last 12 years of war, over 38,000 Afghan civilians have been killed and over 70,000 have been injured.  Millions of Afghans have suffered due to the death or injury of a loved one, the embassy said.

The Afghan people have seen enough Afghan-on-Afghan violence.  As US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said last week, “All Afghans – all Afghans – deserve the opportunity to go about their days – doing their jobs, attending schools, shopping in markets – without fearing for their lives.”

The statement said the United States was firmly committed to assisting Afghanistan and the Afghan people.

As President Biden said on June 26 “The partnership between Afghanistan and the United States is not ending … we’re going to stick with you.”  We will continue to support the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and will provide $3 billion in security assistance in 2022.

“We urge an end to violence, respect for the human rights of all Afghans, and serious negotiations in Doha so that a just and durable peace may be achieved.”

Nh/ma

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