The top commander for US and NATO occupation forces in Afghanistan said Wednesday that warring parties now have an “unprecedented” opportunity for peace, and insisted President Donald Trump’s strategy for the beleaguered country is working.

“We have an unprecedented opportunity, or window of opportunity, for ‘peace’ right now,” said General John Nicholson, the outgoing commander of NATO’s Resolute Support mission.

Despite a wave of violence that has rocked Afghanistan and its capital Kabul in recent weeks, killing hundreds of civilians and Afghan security forces, Nicholson said he was seeing signs of hope.

“There’s been progress on the peace process,” he said, pointing to a short ceasefire in June, the first since the US-led invasion in 2001 that toppled the Taliban regime.

Then on Sunday, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani unveiled another ceasefire offer, saying security forces would observe the truce beginning this week — but only if the militants reciprocated.

“So far we’ve not heard if the Taliban will accept or reject this ceasefire,” Nicholson said.

The June ceasefire spurred hopes that a new path was opening for possible peace talks in the country.

Source: AFP