On Friday 27 March, the spokeswoman for the European External Action Service (EEAS) reiterated the European Union's call for a ceasefire in Afghanistan, as military and terror attacks continue to occur throughout the country, including one directly targeting a place of worship for the Sikh community, which has left 25 people dead.
These attacks go against the spirit of the Doha Agreement concluded between the Taliban and the United States on 29 February (see EUROPE 12437/9).
“Now more than ever, Afghanistan needs a ceasefire”, the spokeswoman said in a press release. She said the call by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “for a global ceasefire to allow for humanitarian assistance to reach populations that are most vulnerable”, “provides an additional impetus to address the situation as a matter of urgency”.
Condemning the attacks “in the strongest possible terms”, the EEAS spokesperson said the EU would continue to promote “a long overdue peace process, that brings peace, tolerance and stability to the country and guarantees freedom of worship for the whole population in Afghanistan”.
The EU will also continue to help protect and promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans, including ethnic and religious minorities, she pledged. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)