Afghan president to free up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners after Eid ceasefire offer

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday began the release of up to 2,000 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture after the militant group proposed a surprise ceasefire for Eid Al Fitr.

Mr Ghani said the government was ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban after accepting their offer of a three-day truce over the Eid holiday starting on Sunday, which marks the end of Ramadan.

The decision to release the prisoners was made "to ensure success of the peace process", his spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Ghani addressed the nation and welcomed the move by the insurgents after weeks of violence caused devastation in a country that has not seen peace for four decades.

He vowed to speed up the release of Taliban prisoners, a precursor to wider talks between the Kabul government and the militants to end their long war.

Mr Ghani urged the militants to press on with the release of Afghan security personnel they held.

A US-Taliban deal signed in February said the Afghan government would release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners while the insurgents would free about 1,000 members of the Afghan security forces.

The prisoner swap is regarded as a confidence-building move before peace talks.

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Kabul has so far released about 1,000 Taliban inmates while the insurgents have freed about 300 personnel.

Although the US wants inter-Afghan talks to resolve nearly 40 years of fighting, analysts say the Taliban have been emboldened by the deal with the US.

Afghan government officials have reported more than 3,800 attacks, killing 420 civilians and wounding 906, since the US deal was signed in February.

In Kabul, men gathered at mosques in their hundreds to offer prayers at Eid Al Fitr.

Given the coronavirus pandemic, many gathered outside and at a distance to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Police and the military still manned checkpoints, searching cars as they moved through the capital.

War-weary Kabul residents expressed relief after the truce was announced.

"I'm happy that we are witnessing a rare ceasefire in Afghanistan," said Abidullah Nasimi, 18, a barber attending morning prayers at a Kabul mosque.

"But this is not enough. We want a permanent ceasefire and end to bloodshed so that we have lasting peace in the country."

In the nearly 19 years since the US invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime, there has only been one other pause in fighting.

In 2018, Mr Ghani secured another Eid Al Fitr ceasefire and the guns fell silent.

For three days, Taliban fighters mingled with crowds in cities, ate ice-cream with their foes in the military and showed the people what Afghanistan at peace could look like.

This time, the rules are different. The Taliban said they would not enter government-controlled areas and the military should not enter areas under their control.

US negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad welcomed the ceasefire, describing it as "a momentous opportunity that should not be missed".

"The US will do its part to help," Mr Khalilzad, who brokered the deal between the Taliban and US this year, said in a tweet.

"Other positive steps should immediately follow: the release of remaining prisoners as specified in the US-Taliban agreement by both sides, no returning to high levels of violence, and agreement on a new date for the start of intra-Afghan negotiations."

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged both sides to use the ceasefire to start talks on peace.

“I welcome the statements by the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban on a three-day ceasefire over Eid," Mr Stoltenberg said.

"All parties should seize this opportunity for peace, for the benefit of all Afghans. Nato remains committed to Afghanistan’s long-term security."

The UN special representative for Afghanistan also celebrated the announcement.

“Reason to hope,"Deborah Lyons tweeted. "A welcome move by the Taliban. Well responded to by Afghan government.

"Echoes also UN Secretary General Guterres’ call for a ceasefire to focus on the new enemy, the Covid virus.

"Let the wisdom and compassion of Eid convince all to make this permanent and move to peace talks.”