US welcomes Afghanistan's ceasefire offer with Taliban for Eid

The US today welcomed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer of a temporary ceasefire with the Taliban for Eid, saying it demonstrates the government's commitment to explore ways to end the deadly conflict.

The ceasefire will last "from the 27th of Ramadan until the fifth day of Eid-al-Fitr," President Ghani said in a tweet.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan would respect this ceasefire.

"The United States welcomes President Ghani's offer of a temporary ceasefire between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban to allow the Afghan people to celebrate Eid al-Fitr without fear of violence.

 

"This ceasefire further demonstrates the Afghan government's commitment to explore ways to end the conflict," Pompeo said.

It was not immediately known if the Taliban had agreed to the ceasefire, which would be the first for Eid since 2001.

The ceasefire follows the Afghan Ulema Council's call for the Taliban to end their campaign of violence against the Afghan people and the government, he said in a statement.

Pompeo said that the Afghan government's offer of a temporary ceasefire underscores its commitment to peace as both a national and religious responsibility.

"We stand with the Afghan people as they lay the foundation for an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process," he said.

"In support of the Afghan government's initiative, NATO's Resolute Support Mission and US forces in Afghanistan will respect the ceasefire, as it applies to the Taliban," Pompeo said, adding that this does not apply to ISIS and al-Qaeda, nor does it prohibit operations to defend Afghan and Coalition forces from attack.

"The United States and our international partners look to the Taliban to honour the ceasefire and demonstrate their respect for the people of Afghanistan who have long called for a reprieve to the Taliban's campaign of violence," Pompeo added.