Peace and reconciliation is the top priority for Afghan Government says High Peace Council

8 Dec 2010

Peace and reconciliation is the top priority for Afghan Government says High Peace Council

8 December 2010 - The High Peace Council, at its first public conference in Kandahar, said that peace and reconciliation is the Afghan Government’s top agenda.

 

The conference was attended by Chairman Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, Head of Secretariat for the High Peace Council, Massom Stanakzai, tribal elders, ullemas, and governors from Zabul, Nimroz, Uruzgan, Kandahar and Helmand provinces, along with civil society and UNAMA representatives.

The two-day conference in Kandahar will focus on criteria, strategy and various aspects of the process.

Kandahar Governor, Dr Toryali Wesa, in his opening remarks said “peace is imperative for the political, social and economic prosperity for a nation,” adding that “nations who do not have peace, perish.”

The chairman for the High Peace Council remarked that, “Afghanistan has suffered a lot from decades of ongoing conflicts and it wants peace. It is important for us to sit together and solve our differences by ourselves and bring peace to the nation.”

Rabbani called upon the international community, in particular the United Nations, to support the peace process. He also invited anti-government elements to lay down their weapons and come to the negotiating table for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing crisis in the country.

“Kandahar is an historic province and many revolutions has been led from here, which is the reason that we are here,” adding that, “by using this forum, I would like to invite my other Muslim brothers, who are currently in opposition to this Government, to give up violence and join the peace process,” added Rabbani.

This process of peace, reconciliation and reintegration was unanimously endorsed by 1,600 representatives country-wide in June 2010 at the Peace Jirga.

By Mujeeb Rahman, UNAMA