Members of the United Nations Security Council condemned the announcement by the Taliban of a spring offensive, which will only result in more unnecessary suffering and destruction for the Afghan people, the UNSC said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement said that the members of the Security Council recognized the Afghan people�s strong desire for sustainable peace in Afghanistan. They underscored that calls for more fighting will not advance the goal of making a sustainable peace.

The members of the Security Council called on all parties to the conflict to seize the opportunity to begin an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations that result in a political settlement, the statement noted.

The members of the Security Council reiterated the importance of an inclusive Afghan-led and-owned peace process for the long-term prosperity and stability of Afghanistan, and expressed their full support for the Afghan Government�s efforts to that end, the statement added.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that, as mandated by the Security Council, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General stand ready to provide their good offices to support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, if requested by and in close consultation with the Afghan Government.

It comes as the Taliban militant group announced its annual spring offensive operation Al-Fath "the Victory" on Friday, April 12, saying that the group would continue fighting as long as foreign forces remained in the country.

LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/10808

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