Afghan Violence Surges Ahead of Turkey-Hosted Peace Conference

Afghan Violence Surges Ahead of Turkey-Hosted Peace Conference

Government forces in Afghanistan and the Taliban both claimed Sunday they had inflicted heavy casualties on the other in their latest attacks, as the two adversaries are expected to meet in Turkey later this month for U.S.-proposed Afghan peace talks.  
 
An Afghan Defense Ministry statement said national security forces in the last 24 hours killed nearly 160 insurgents and injured dozens of others in operations across several provinces.
 
Afghan army commanders are also reported as saying they have evicted the Taliban from Arghandab district in the southern Kandahar province, months after the insurgents had overrun it.
 
For its part, the Taliban took responsibility for a Sunday afternoon car bombing of an Afghan forces’ convoy in Paghman district, about 30 kilometers from the capital, Kabul.  

 

14 Women Killed in Targeted Attacks Since January in Afghanistan, Says Afghan Rights Commission

Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission confirmed Thursday that 14 women have been killed and 22 others injured since January in targeted killings by armed militants. VOA’s Lima Niazi reports from Kabul.  

 
Afghan officials said the blast killed at least three security personnel and injured more than a dozen others, fearing the death toll could increase because many among those wounded were in critical condition.
 
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said a group of insurgents staged “tactical attacks” on the convoy following the car bombing and “killed/wounded up to 45” Afghan forces, though insurgents often release inflated casualty tolls for such attacks.
 
The Taliban did not comment on their battlefield losses in the face of recent operations by Afghan forces, but the group warned of possible retaliation, raising fears of more bloodshed in days ahead.
 
An insurgent statement said the Taliban

“

orders the (insurgent) commission for military affairs to take all necessary steps to defend itself and the local population if these operations (by Kabul) are not immediately suspended.

”
 
The statement confirmed that Afghan forces had conducted airstrikes in Arghandab in recent days, but it did not say whether the group had lost control of the district to Kabul.
 
Turkey conference
 
The renewed violence, analysts say, does not bode well for a proposed peace conference to be held in Istanbul, Turkey.
 
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government has confirmed it will attend the peace conference, which will be held under the auspices of the United Nations.  
 
An Afghan official told VOA on condition of anonymity Sunday that the conference will begin April 16 and will last 10 days.
 
Washington is pushing Kabul and the Taliban to finalize a peace deal at the proposed conference as the May 1 deadline looms for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan.
 
The deadline is part of a February 2020 agreement the United States signed with the Taliban to end what has been the longest war in U.S. history.
 
Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem last week told Afghan media that Turkish officials had formally shared details and the purpose of the Istanbul gathering with his group. The Taliban was in the process of deciding whether to attend the conference, he said.  
 ♪
Last week, Ghani unveiled his own peace roadmap at an international conference on Afghanistan hosted by neighboring Tajikistan, and Afghan officials say the proposal will be put forward at the Istanbul meeting.  
 
The plan seeks consensus on a political settlement to the war and an internationally monitored Afghan cease-fire.

In the next stage, it calls for holding a presidential election and the establishment of a “government of peace” that will oversee the implementation of a new legal system in the country.  
 
The Ghani plan, however, runs counter to proposals U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration have recently shared with the Afghan warring parties in a bid to accelerate the process of finding a political settlement to the Afghan war.  
 
The U.S. plan seeks to replace the Ghani government with an interim political setup, including the Taliban, which will oversee peace negotiations on reaching a deal that will end the Afghan war.  
 
Kabul has strongly opposed the U.S. proposals. But Afghan opposition politicians have not endorsed the Ghani peace roadmap and have stressed the need for devising a unified plan before attending the Istanbul conference.  
 
The Taliban have voiced opposition to both the plans offered by the U.S. and Ghani. The insurgent group insists a final settlement to the conflict must stem from the U.S.-Taliban deal and ensuing peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan negotiators, including representatives of Kabul.
 
The so-called intra-Afghan negotiations, hosted by Qatar, started last September but have stalled for most of the time, without making significant progress.  
 
Skepticism  
 
Critics are skeptical about whether the proposed conference in Turkey would help jump-start the stalled Afghan peace process. It also is not clear whether the Taliban would be willing to negotiate with Washington an extension of the May 1 troop withdrawal deadline. The insurgents have repeatedly urged the U.S. to abide by the deadline.
 
“

While Afghan political groupings in Kabul are expected to consult and seek consensus on a joint political roadmap that is practical ahead of the Istanbul conference, Ghani's proposal will not only dilute a unified Kabul stance and divide opinions but will also face opposition from the Taliban and provoke a return to full-scale fighting,

”

said Omar Samad, a former Afghan diplomat.  
 
Torek Farhadi, a former Afghan adviser and political commentator, hailed the conference in Turkey as another opportunity the international community has created for Afghans to find peace among themselves and reach an agreement.
 
“

The agreement will have international U.N. level guarantees, but such guarantees are difficult to enforce once foreign forces leave,” Farhadi said.  
 
“If Afghans, including the Taliban, fail to agree with each other as has been the case in the past 30 years, an enduring agreement in Istanbul, which can withstand the test of time is a miracle,” he said. “But one has to hope for it.”

♬

#NEWS #AFGHANS #PEACE_MOVEMENTS #PEACE_WALK #HWPL #PEACE_AGREEMENT

Afghan Violence Surges Ahead of Turkey-Hosted Peace Conference

https://bit.ly/3mlFE3Y

A Forum for Peace Dialogue by Stakeholders in Myanmar

Staff Correspondent:

 

An international NGO named HWPL, headquartered in South Korea and affiliated with the UN ECOSOC, issued a statement expressing deep concern about the crisis of human rights arising from the recent military coup and mass protests in Myanmar, calling for the international community to join in efforts to support peaceful approach to resolve the current conflict in the country.

#HWPL

On the HWPL Statement on Human Rights Crisis in Myanmar, the organization announced that global actors of the globe with one voice are encouraged to display their support for conflict resolution through the channel of dialogue between the military and civil society actors.

#RESOLUTION

 

In the statement it said hundreds of deaths and injuries were caused by the recent efforts of the Myanmar military to suppress nonviolent protests and highlights that no conflict of interest can justify violence against civilians, and no interest of any group can prevail over human life.

#HUMAN

It asked all parties in Myanmar to settle the crisis through consensus based on mutual respect and understanding and age in dialogue to seek a peaceful resolution.

And it further asked global actors to issue statements urging authorities and civilians in Myanmar to pursue dialogue and seek a peaceful solution in order t= o restore peace to the country.

#PEACEFUL_SOLUTION

The number of deaths from protests exceeded 200, and more than 2,000 people have been arrested by the military. We, the people of Myanmar are very glad Korean people and HWPL, as a peace advocate, supports our democracy and peace movement. Currently, we are demanding international pressure against the military regime, in order to stop their brutality against peaceful demonstrators,said Kasauh Mon, CEO of Mon News Agency in Myanmar.

#MYANMAR

For the past five years, this international civil society advocacy for peace building led by HWPL has shown support and initiatives at the national and international levels.

#PEACE

The organization collected over 730,000 letters written by citizens in 176 countries to call for development of peace in each country, which led government and social leaders to express their support and engagement.

 

#ORGANIZATION

 

 

https://thechange24.com/?p=23555

HWPL Statement on Human Rights Crisis in Myanmar

HWPL Statement on Human Rights Crisis in Myanmar

By Man Hee Lee

 

We, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), express deep concern over the situation in Myanmar, which has caused casualties and posed grave threats to human rights. 

The recent efforts of the Myanmar military to suppress nonviolent protests have led to dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The number is still continuing to increase.

 

Human life must not be disregarded in any circumstances. No conflict of interest can justify violence against civilians, and no interest of any group can prevail over human life. 

Using violence to suppress peaceful protests and silence voices for change is contrary to the will of the people of Myanmar. 

 

Authorities should respect people's human rights and freedom of expression. We call on all relevant parties in Myanmar to express regret at the ongoing situation and engage in dialogue to seek a peaceful resolution.

We are confident that the international community will support this effort, which will contribute to security and peace not only in Southeast Asia but also in other parts of the world. 

 

We, HWPL, along with our members all over the globe are deeply concerned about the harm caused to civilians by the escalating violence in Myanmar. International attention is focused on Myanmar, and history will remember these moments. 

 

The situation should be resolved in a just and peaceful way also for the sake of the growing generation, who will learn from this crisis to build their future. We call on all parties to refrain from repression or force and instead settle the crisis through dialogue and consensus based on mutual respect and understanding. 

 

And we call on the United Nations to take active measures so that the human rights and safety of the people of Myanmar may be protected. 

We ask the global family of peace to issue statements urging authorities and civilians in Myanmar to pursue dialogue and seek a peaceful solution in order to restore peace to the country. 

 

In one voice, HWPL and all our members around the world express hope that the ongoing crisis in Myanmar will be resolved peacefully through dialogue, not violence, and we call on the international community to join us. 

 

Man Hee Lee is Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) chairman and a world renowned peace advocate 

 

◈About HWPL

 

Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace organization, was founded for global peace and cessation of war.

 Also, it is a non-governmental organization in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and associated with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

With the mission to achieve global peace through the heavenly culture and restore the world with light,

HWPL is carrying out its peace movement around the globe, working with its partner, the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), and its affiliate organization, the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG).

 Moreover, leaders of different countries are cooperating as the HWPL Peace Advisory Council, and experts from all walks of life are active as HWPL Publicity Ambassadors.

 

https://theinsnews.com/postview/79-hwpl-statement-on-human-rights-crisis-in-myanmar

#MYANMAR #HUMAN_RIGHTS #HWPL #MANHEE_LEE #PEACE

International Day of Human Space Flight 12 April

▩Background

On 4 October 1957 the first human-made Earth satellite Sputnik I was launched into outer space, thus opening the way for space exploration.

On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth, opening a new chapter of human endeavour in outer space.

The Declaration further recalls “the amazing history of human presence in outer space and the remarkable achievements since the first human spaceflight, in particular Valentina Tereshkova becoming the first woman to orbit the Earth on 16 June 1963, Neil Armstrong becoming the first human to set foot upon the surface of the Moon on 20 July 1969, and the docking of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts on 17 July 1975, being the first international human mission in space, and recall that for the past decade humanity has maintained a multinational permanent human presence in outer space aboard the International Space Station.”

▨UN and Space

From the very beginning of the Space Age, the United Nations recognized that outer space added a new dimension to humanity's existence.

The United Nations family strives continuously to utilize the unique benefits of outer space for the betterment of all humankind.

Recognizing the common interest of humankind in outer space and seeking to answer questions on how outer space can help benefit the people's of Earth, the General Asssembly adopted its first resolution related to outer space, resolution 1348 (XIII) entitled "Question of the Peaceful Use of Outer Space".

On 10 October 1967, the "Magna Carta of Space", also known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies entered into force.

Today, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is the United Nations office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

UNOOSA serves as the secretariat for the General Assembly's only committee dealing exclusively with international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space: the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space(COPUOS).

UNOOSA is also responsible for implementing the Secretary-General's responsibilities under international space law and maintaining the United Nations Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space.

#UN #INTERNATIONAL_DAY #SPACE #HWPL #IPYG #IWPG #DPCW_1038

https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-days-and-weeks

International Mine Awareness Day 4 APRIL

Today, on the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, we reflect on how far we have come in raising awareness of the dangers posed by landmines, and recommit to our target of a mine-free world.  

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

▼▼▼

Perseverance, Partnership, Progress

************

Last year, the United Nations mine action community stepped-up to the challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sector continued to deliver results, fulfilling obligations, surveying, clearing, training, and eradicating the threat of landmines and explosive ordnance.

 

The United Nations system advanced its work to mitigate the threat of improvised explosive devices and strengthened and built new partnerships.

#EXPLOSIVE

In 2021 the COVID-19 challenges will require perseverance. Work will continue, landmines and explosive ordnance will be cleared, exit strategies and capacity development of national partners will carry on. The mine action community will continue to adapt.

#Ordnance

The United Nations will ensure to carry forward progress towards a world free from the threat of landmines and unexploded ordnance.

 

Background

 

On 8 December 2005, the General Assembly declared that 4 April of each year shall be observed as the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.

#MINE

It called for continued efforts by States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries where mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the civilian population, or an impediment to social and economic development at the national and local levels.

 

For over 20 years, the work of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has been driven by the needs of affected people and tailored to the threat of explosive hazards faced by civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarians.

#HUMANITARIANS

UNMAS works to save lives, to facilitate deployment of UN missions and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, to protect civilians, to support the voluntary return of the internally displaced and refugees, to enable humanitarian and recovery activities and to advocate for international humanitarian and human rights law.

#COVID_19 #UN #PEACE #PEACEKEEPER

https://www.un.org/