Kunar – Hundreds of people walked out of their residences in protest around Kunar on Tuesday, as they voiced out against the Afghan government and Taliban to agree on a ceasefire.
People’s Peace Movement, also called the Helmand Peace Convoy, organized the protest in their quest for sustainable peace in the country.
They carried placards, some readings: “Stop Afghan Genocide”, “War is Enough”.
The Helmand peace activists initially launched their protest in Lashkargah City after a suicide bombing outside a stadium last year in March. About a month later, a group of eight protestors walked out of Helmand to Kabul.
The activists crossed miles on feet through the towns and villages, as well as provinces in their quest for peace. Besides, they met local residents as their number kept growing during the 38-day campaign.
The group of eight had grown to an estimated 100, when they arrived in Kabul on June 18, 2018 walking at least 700kms in their quest for a complete ceasefire throughout the country.
The protesters offered the Taliban a due date of three days to respond to their quest, and said they would embark on sit-in protests outside diplomatic offices in the capital if the Taliban failed to comply.
Deadline, however, did not bring any response. The group then held a three-day sit-in protest outside UNAMA in Kabul, sent a letter to the UN secretary General Antonio Guterres asking him not to remain indifferent towards their voice for peace.
From there, the protest spread wings to the US embassy, where they stayed for nine days. There too, they sent a letter to the American asking them to pass their plea to the US government for ending war in Afghanistan.
The Campaign did not come to end yet, so the protesters camped in front of Iranian, Pakistan, Russian and British embassies, as well as the office of the European Union in Kabul.
