In a solemn speech from his palace in Kabul, Ghani said his government was ready for “comprehensive peace and talks” and that he would be willing to discuss all Taliban concerns, including “the future role of international troops” in the country. He did not say how long the extension would last.
Ghani’s dramatic announcement aimed to build on the extraordinary success of the cease-fire’s first day Friday, in which thousands of Taliban fighters poured into cities and towns across the country and joined local civilians and security officials in celebrating the Eid holiday that follows Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
The president said he was acting “to respect the public’s wishes and support their demands for peace,” and that his government would continue releasing prisoners as long as it received a positive reciprocal response from the Taliban. There was no immediate comment from the group, which has been fighting to regain power since 2002, after Taliban religious rulers were ousted by Afghan and U.S. forces.
Even as Ghani spoke, the positive momentum of Friday’s events was potentially undercut by a bombing in eastern Nangarhar province, outside a site where Taliban and local officials were meeting to celebrate the truce. The bombing killed 26 people and another 41 were wounded, most of them believed to be Taliban fighters who had gathered to celebrate a three-day cease fire marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, a police official said.
Daesh (also known as the ISIS or ISIL), which was not part of the truce, claimed responsibility for the bombing on their affiliated news website. A government defence spokesman said explosives were hidden in a car and that an extremist Sunni militia was likely behind the bombing.
Nangarhar provincial Police Chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai said the devastating explosion came as previously unthinkable scenes of unarmed Taliban fighters celebrating Eid, often alongside Afghan security forces, played out in cities throughout the war-shattered country on Friday and again on Saturday.
There have been no reports of Taliban attacks since the ceasefire started, however, and the momentum for peace seemed to be building. Several local Taliban leaders said they supported an extended truce, although there are still sharp divisions among its national leadership that could split on conditions for peace talks or on a future political role for insurgents. Over the past decade, numerous efforts to launch negotiations have collapsed.
Meanwhile, for the second successive day, emotional scenes of reconciliation and celebration among gatherings of insurgents, civilians and security forces continued in dozens of locations across the country.
Ghani declared a unilateral a weeklong ceasefire last week, and the Taliban agreed to honour it during the three-day Eid period that ends Sunday. The president seemed deeply moved by the outpouring of public support for the truce and said the atmosphere was “totally changed” from the past.
