Taliban won't agree to ceasefire unless reason behind war is discussed

The Taliban will not agree to a ceasefire unless peace negotiators discuss the main reason behind the war, said their spokesperson Mohommed Naeem.

The spokesperson claimed that the terrorist group reduced violence levels with the beginning of the preliminary round of talks but the government has not halted its "offensive operations, according to Tolo News.

"It does not make sense to end 20 years of war in one hour. In our perspective, it will be logical to discuss the main aspects of the problems and the war and then finalise a ceasefire so that the problem is resolved permanently," Mohammad Naeem told TOLOnews.

"Suppose, if we announce a ceasefire today, but then we fail to reach an agreement at the negotiating table tomorrow, do we go toward the war again? What does this mean?" he added.

Naeem further said that the Taliban wants an Islamic system "that is answerable to the public and the nation".

"One of our objectives was to end the invasion of Afghanistan. The other one was that there is a true Islamic system that is answerable to the public and the nation," Tolo News reported quoting the spokesperson.

Naeem said that despite the possibility of ups and downs in the negotiations, he is optimistic about the outcome of the talks between the two.

"We have entered the peace process with a strong will and determination. We want this problem finally to be resolved. The process is complicated and it has its own complexities, but we are hopeful that the problems come to an end," added Naeem.

It has been five days since the opening ceremony of the intra-Afghan talks between the delegation representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban in Doha but the two sides have not managed to finalise procedures and methods to conduct formal negotiations.