KABUL: The Afghan Taliban on Saturday announced a three-day cease-fire over the Eid holiday at the end of this week, their first offer of its kind, following a cease-fire announced by the government on Thursday.
The militants said foreign forces would be excluded from the cease-fire and that operations against them would continue. They also said they would defend themselves against any attack.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced an unconditional cease-fire with the Taliban on Thursday, coinciding with the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, but excluding other militant groups, such as Daesh.
Ghani’s decision came after a meeting of Islamic clerics declared a fatwa, or ruling, against suicide bombings, one of which, claimed by Daesh, killed 14 people at the entrance to the clerics’ peace tent in Kabul.
The clerics also recommended a cease-fire with the Taliban, who are seeking to reimpose strict Islamic law after their ouster in 2001, and Ghani endorsed the recommendation, saying it would last until June 20.
It was not immediately clear when the Taliban cease-fire would begin, as Eid starts when the moon is first sighted on either the 29th or 30th day of Ramadan, and the moon appears at different times across the country.
Ghani has urged cease-fires with the Taliban before, but this was the first unconditional offer since he was elected in 2014.
In August, US President Donald Trump unveiled a more hawkish military approach to Afghanistan, including a surge in air strikes, aimed at forcing the Taliban to the negotiating table.
Afghan security forces say the impact has been significant, but the Taliban roam huge swaths of the country and, with foreign troop levels of about 15,600, down from 140,000 in 2014, there appears little hope of outright victory.
Afghan Taliban announce Eid cease-fire after president’s unconditional offer
Afghan Taliban announce Eid cease-fire after president’s unconditional offer
- The militants said foreign forces would be excluded from the cease-fire and that operations against them would continue
- Afghan security forces say the impact has been significant, but the Taliban roam huge swaths of the country and, with foreign troop levels of about 15,600, down from 140,000 in 2014
Brief Christmas pause in Cup of Nations action
- The tournament in Morocco kicked off on Sunday, and the first four days of matches have run to form
- Morocco has invested heavily in footballing infrastructure for the tournament
RABAT: The Africa Cup of Nations paused for Christmas on Thursday, but it is a brief 24-hour break with two more rounds of group competition to be crammed into the next week.
The tournament in Morocco kicked off on Sunday, and the first four days of matches have run to form, with many of the favorites serving notice of their potential in their respective opening fixtures.
Morocco has invested heavily in footballing infrastructure for the tournament, and with an eye on their co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup finals, there is an enormous burden of expectation on their team to deliver the Cup of Nations title in return.
Morocco are heavily fancied for home success, but they have a long history of flopping at the continental championship, having won the Cup of Nations once previously, some 50 years ago.
They will be back in action on Friday, facing a much tougher opponent, Mali, in Rabat in their second Group A match, with much of the focus on a .
The newly crowned African Footballer of the Year faced missing the tournament when he injured an ankle in Champions League action for Paris St. Germain last month but returned to training last week and could be given some game time on Boxing Day.
A spotlight also remains on Egypt’s Mohamed Salah after he was benched by Liverpool last month and then .
The tournament in Morocco is a break from his club travails for Salah, who netted a on Monday for Egypt as they came from behind to beat Zimbabwe.
Egypt will be hoping a return to form continues when they take on South Africa in Agadir on Friday.
There were impressive starts this week for and , who are two of the favorites, and wins also for defending champions Ivory Coast and former winners Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Tunisia.
The group stage of the tournament will be completed on December 31, with the last-16 kicking off on January 3. The final is on January 18.
