Ramadan truce unveils Taliban’s deep interests in Afghanistan

Nahla Abdelmonem

The Taliban movement has turned down a proposed ceasefire during the Islamic month of Ramadan, which was proposed by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Ghani said the ceasefire would help Afghan citizens enjoy the Islamic month and give Afghan authorities the chance to properly respond to the coronavirus.

Taliban Spokesman Suhail Shahin said a ceasefire was possible only if the Afghan government had implemented the terms of an agreement it had previously signed with the United States in Doha.

The fact is that procrastination by the Afghan government makes the ceasefire impossible, Shahin added on Twitter.

The Afghan government had hoped to put an end to fighting in Afghanistan in order to have the chance to fight the coronavirus.

Ghani called on April 23 for enforcing a ceasefire throughout Afghanistan during the Islamic month of Ramadan.

Nevertheless, Ghani’s proposed ceasefire is viewed as an attempt on his part to buy time and delay the release of Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails.

The prisoner release was included in the agreement Taliban signed with the United States in Doha.

Truce of the strong

Political science professor at Cairo University Nourhan al-Sheikh said Taliban controls large swaths of Afghanistan.

The government is weak and it was significantly undermined when the United States struck a deal with the Taliban, she told The Reference.

Al-Sheikh added that the Taliban would not approve the truce without making gains.

Ali Bakr, an extremism specialist, said the Taliban uses its attacks against government posts as a pressure card against it.

The movement only wants to prove the government weak, Bakr said.

It wants to show that it is a viable alternative to this government in Afghanistan, he added.