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Helmand Peace Convoy To Launch Sit-In Protests Outside Embassies

Members of the Helmand Peace Convoy said on Saturday at a press conference in Kabul that they will embark on a sit-in protest, outside embassies and diplomatic missions, in Kabul from Sunday.

Bismillah Watandost, the convoy’s spokesman, said they will hold protests outside a number of embassies and diplomatic missions for three days.

Watandost said they will launch the first protest on Sunday outside the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA). 

Earlier this week, the activists gave the Taliban three days in which to answer to their demands – which included a one month ceasefire on the part of the group. However, by Friday, the deadline, the convoy had not received any response from the insurgent group.

On Friday, the activists announced their intention to hold sit-in protests outside embassies and missions that they believe are involved in the Afghan war.

“We will spend three days in front of each embassy. During these three days, we will try to launch demonstrations in those countries that we are protesting against. By holding our demonstration’s(in the country), we want to create a relationship between our people and the citizens of those countries; and we hope the citizens of the foreign countries ask their governments why Afghans are protesting outside their embassies,” Watandost said. 

Watandost said people accuse government of having foreigners in its ministries and departments, people who are interfering in government’s affairs and that there are foreign spies entrenched in the Taliban who are trying to damage the insurgent group’s reputation.

“People accuse the Afghan government of having foreign spies and foreigners in the ministries, who interfere in the ministries affairs. Also (people say) there are foreigners (foreign spies) in parliament, in the senate and in other departments. Likewise, people feel that there are also foreigners inside the Taliban even at the center of the group (in the leadership team) and they are working to damage the reputation of the Taliban,” Watandost added. 

These peace activists, who are believed to total in excess of 70, walked for about 700km from Helmand to Kabul carrying a message of peace.  

Musa, a resident of Zabul province and a member of the convoy, joined the peace activists in Shahjoy district of Zabul when the convoy arrived in his district and stayed overnight.

Musa, 29, said he has lost four of his relatives in clashes in his home province. Musa said three relatives were members of the Taliban and one of them was a police soldier. 

“This war and bloodshed should end. Now everyone wants (the warring parties) to end the war,” said Musa. 

Helmand Peace Convoy To Launch Sit-In Protests Outside Embassies

Helmand peace activists said they will hold sit-in protests outside all embassies they think are supporting the war.  

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Members of the Helmand Peace Convoy said on Saturday at a press conference in Kabul that they will embark on a sit-in protest, outside embassies and diplomatic missions, in Kabul from Sunday.

Bismillah Watandost, the convoy’s spokesman, said they will hold protests outside a number of embassies and diplomatic missions for three days.

Watandost said they will launch the first protest on Sunday outside the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA). 

Earlier this week, the activists gave the Taliban three days in which to answer to their demands – which included a one month ceasefire on the part of the group. However, by Friday, the deadline, the convoy had not received any response from the insurgent group.

On Friday, the activists announced their intention to hold sit-in protests outside embassies and missions that they believe are involved in the Afghan war.

“We will spend three days in front of each embassy. During these three days, we will try to launch demonstrations in those countries that we are protesting against. By holding our demonstration’s(in the country), we want to create a relationship between our people and the citizens of those countries; and we hope the citizens of the foreign countries ask their governments why Afghans are protesting outside their embassies,” Watandost said. 

Watandost said people accuse government of having foreigners in its ministries and departments, people who are interfering in government’s affairs and that there are foreign spies entrenched in the Taliban who are trying to damage the insurgent group’s reputation.

“People accuse the Afghan government of having foreign spies and foreigners in the ministries, who interfere in the ministries affairs. Also (people say) there are foreigners (foreign spies) in parliament, in the senate and in other departments. Likewise, people feel that there are also foreigners inside the Taliban even at the center of the group (in the leadership team) and they are working to damage the reputation of the Taliban,” Watandost added. 

These peace activists, who are believed to total in excess of 70, walked for about 700km from Helmand to Kabul carrying a message of peace.  

Musa, a resident of Zabul province and a member of the convoy, joined the peace activists in Shahjoy district of Zabul when the convoy arrived in his district and stayed overnight.

Musa, 29, said he has lost four of his relatives in clashes in his home province. Musa said three relatives were members of the Taliban and one of them was a police soldier. 

“This war and bloodshed should end. Now everyone wants (the warring parties) to end the war,” said Musa. 

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