KABUL - After spending 10 days outside the US embassy, the peace activists called on the American people to help end the war.
Members of the Helmand Peace Convoy have called on the American people to put pressure on the US government to end the war in Afghanistan.
In a letter to Americans, they called for help as part of their peace efforts, activists said.
The peace activists also said they will end their sit-in protest outside the US embassy in Kabul on Friday and will move on to the Russian embassy.
The activists said they had also decided to form a committee, with the support of the people, to visit areas under Taliban control in order to encourage them to join the peace process.
Sealing a permanent ceasefire among the warring parties; specifying an address for peace talks; establishment of a peaceful government based on Islamic values; and determining an exact date for the withdrawal of foreign forces are among the activists’ key demands.
“Our campaign started outside UNAMA’s office and now it is in front of the US embassy. Tomorrow we will move to the Russian embassy,” said campaign leader Iqbal Khyber
The activists have held a sit-in protest outside the US embassy for the past ten days.
Protest Started In Helmand
The peace activists initially launched their protest in Lashkargah City after a suicide bombing outside a stadium in March. About a month later, a group of eight protestors left Helmand on foot for Kabul.
The activists walked through towns and villages, crossed provinces and met with local residents along the way. For 38 days they walked and as they progressed, so their numbers grew.
About 700kms later, the group of eight had grown to an estimated 100. They arrived in Kabul on June 18 and handed over demands for a ceasefire and peace to both the Afghan government and the Taliban.
The group gave the Taliban three days in which to answer and said if they failed to do so, they would embark on sit in protests outside diplomatic offices and missions in the capital.
The Taliban’s deadline passed without any response. The activists then held a three-day sit-in protest outside UNAMA’s office in Kabul. They sent a letter to the UN Secretary General António Guterres in which they asked him not to remain indifferent towards ending the ongoing war in Afghanistan.
From there, they moved on to the US embassy – where they have been for the past 10 days.
The activists, whose ages range from 17 to 65, come from all walks of life and include students, athletes and farmers among others. (Tolo news)