Indeed, Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim majority in the world, has offered a lot to Afghanistan on its way to peace and ensuring that every Afghan man and woman has all the rights they shouldJakarta (ANTARA) - US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo commended Indonesia's role in the peace process in Afghanistan.
"Indeed, Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim majority in the world, has offered a lot to Afghanistan on its way to peace and ensuring that every Afghan man and woman has all the rights they should," Pompeo remarked while delivering a virtual press statement after meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Jakarta, Thursday.
Indonesia has extended consistent support to realizing peace in Afghanistan through the involvement of all elements of the nation, including intensifying the role of women.
In a bid to create conditions conducive to peace negotiations, Indonesia underscored the significance of cultivating mutual trust between negotiating parties and mobilizing international support, such as from the UN Security Council.
As a country invited to reopen peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban last September, Indonesia also welcomed support from the US in the process.
"We laud the US leadership in bringing peace to Afghanistan, and Indonesia is ready to contribute more, especially on issues related to women's empowerment," Foreign Minister Marsudi noted.
The Intra-Afghan negotiation was held following a security agreement reached in February between the US and the Taliban.
Pompeo believes the talks were a "really important" breakthrough, while the head of the Afghan peace council called it a "tremendous opportunity for peace".
However, the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban remain riddled with contention.
According to a UN report, peace talks had failed to slow down the number of civilian casualties, with 5,939 civilians killed in the first nine months of 2020.
The UN Secretary General's special representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, revealed that some 2,117 civilians were killed, while 3,822 were injured during the period from January 1 to September 30, 2020.
Lyons urged all parties in the Afghan conflict to immediately prioritize dialog and take steps to curtail the mounting violence.
A graphic illustration of the rate of harm inflicted on civilians in Afghanistan indicated that four out of every 10 civilian casualties were children or women, with child victims constituting 31 percent of all civilian casualties in the first nine months of 2020, while the female victim count accounted for 13 percent of the total.
"New thinking and concrete actions to safeguard civilian life will not only save thousands of families from suffering and grief but would also help reduce accusations and, conversely, increase confidence among negotiators," the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan emphasized. Related news: Indonesia, US committed to respecting law in South China Sea
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Translator: Yashinta Difa, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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