Less than 24 hours after the United States signed a landmark deal with the Taliban to pave the way for peace in Afghanistan, its implementation has already hit the first speedbump. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem is in Doha following up on the developments. Here’s her report
After 19 years of a grueling conflict that has claimed the lives of more than one-hundred thousand people, the war in Afghanistan may finally be coming to an end. So far, all sides seem to be respecting an agreement to reduce violence, a partial truce that came into effect last Saturday
According to the U.N. report, 3,493 civilians were killed last year and 6,989 were injured. While fewer civilians were hurt or killed by ISIS fighters, more civilians became casualties at the hands of the Taliban and Afghan security forces and their American allies
As Afghanistan grapples with the possibility of a peace deal, the future of millions of Afghan refugees also looks a little more hopeful. United Nations and other officials at a refugee conference in Pakistan warn that peace alone will not be enough to send them home
After the Afghan Taliban announced a seven to 10-day cease-fire with US troops and a reduction in violence against Afghan forces, the Afghan government called the Taliban offer ‘ambiguous,’ and asked for a complete cease-fire as a way forward for peace talks
The year 2020 in Afghanistan begins with the Trump administration vowing to push ahead with plans to withdraw U.S. troops and an upward trend in the number of U.S. combat casualties in the country. In December, the White House said U.S. troop reduction in Afghanistan was “not necessarily” tied to reaching a peace agreement with the Taliban
Afghan Women now want peace,stability and obviously freedom which they are enjoying in Afghanistan
According to Human Rights Watch, more than half the Afghan population, including many survivors of conflict-related violence, struggle with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress, but fewer than 10 percent receive adequate psychosocial support from the state, according to government documents
Afghan officials are counting votes after Saturday’s presidential election that was held amid repeated threats by the Taliban and fear of post-election chaos
Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), which had dozens of observers at polling stations, also reported low turnout, especially among female voters