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Afghan assembly closes with calls for ceasefire and end to war

The Loya Jirga ‘Grand Assembly’ in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul called for a ceasefire and an end to the war in the country on Friday.

The call was aimed at forming a national consensus and common negotiating position for possible peace talks with the Taliban.

The assembly which drew some 3,200 delegates from across the country ended a day behind the four-day schedule with a 23-point resolution called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire with the start of Ramadan.

Ramadan is set to begin on either Sunday or Monday with Muslims worldwide fasting for a month.

In response to the ceasefire call, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who attended the closing ceremony, said his government would act upon it but the Taliban must agree as well for it to be implemented.

“A ceasefire is not one-sided; if the Taliban are ready, we can talk about the details of it,” Ghani said.

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Ghani added that as a gesture of good will, 157 Taliban prisoners would be released; he called on the militant group to send representatives to receive the prisoners.

Other demands of the delegates included the acceleration of the peace process, direct talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, and the designation of an all-inclusive negotiation team for possible peace talks with the Taliban.

The government has made efforts in recent years to sit down with the Taliban in order to find a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict.

The Taliban has so far refused to officially enter peace talks with the Afghan government, though the insurgent group has been meeting U.S. representatives since last summer. (NAN)

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