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A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 10 July 2019

All-Afghan conference brings country closer to peace

By KATHY GANNON in Afghanistan’s northern
Associated Press Baghlan province killed
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) seven people, six of them
— All-Afghan talks that children.
brought together Afghani- Early on Tuesday, a strike
stan’s warring sides ended hit Kotuk Khiel village. The
Tuesday with a statement residents carried the bodies
that appeared to push of the dead to the provin-
the country a step closer cial capital of Pul-e-Kumri,
to peace, by laying down where Afghanistan Na-
the outlines of a roadmap tional Defense Forces had
for the country’s future and blocked the road.
ending nearly 18 years of Safdar Mohesni, the provin-
war. cial council chief, said the
Washington’s Peace En- airstrike was carried out by
voy Zalmay Khalilzad has “foreigners,” a reference
said he is hoping for a fi- to the United States. There
nal agreement by Sept. was no immediate com-
1, which would allow the ment from the U.S. military
withdrawal of U.S. and to a request from The Asso-
NATO troops. He will begin ciated Press.
an eighth round of peace The Taliban have also been
talks with the Taliban later deeply criticized for their
on Tuesday also in Qatar’s many attacks that have
capital, Doha, where the Residents carry bodies of those who were killed in an airstrike during a protest in Baghlan province, killed or wounded civilians,
two-day conference was northern Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 9, 2019. including a devastating
held. Associated Press suicide car bombing on
Tuesday’s statement said tougher negotiations to fol- tions should be held. diplomatic in their refer- Sunday in Ghazni province
that a post-war Afghani- low, when the many sides The conference agreed to ences to each other. that killed 12 people and
stan would have an Islamic in Afghanistan’s protract- keep the momentum go- There was no mention of a wounded more than 150
legal system, protect wom- ed conflict will sit down to ing with confidence build- cease-fire, which Khalilzad others, including many stu-
en’s rights “within the Is- hammer out the details of ing measures. These includ- has said the negotiations dents at a nearby school.
lamic framework of Islamic what an Islamic system will ed the unconditional re- on the final deal would ad- Tuesday’s statement also
values,” and ensure equal- look like, how constitutional lease of old, disabled and dress. said all sides in the conflict
ity for all ethnic groups. The reform will come about, sick prisoners — though Both sides did agree, how- would want international
much-touted conference and what will become of there was no mention of ever, to do more to protect guarantors of any final
was attended by Taliban, the many local militias af- the affiliation of the pris- civilians. The United Na- agreement.
Afghan government rep- filiated with the country’s oners or whether it includ- tions has expressed grow- It said that future meet-
resentatives, women and powerful warlords, who are ed those captured in the ing concern over civilian ings would be all-inclusive
members of the country’s affiliated with Kabul. They war. The warring sides also deaths in the conflict, and — without any mention of
nascent civil society. It will also have to tackle how agreed not to attack in- has criticized all sides for ris- direct talks with the Afghan
aimed to produce a new women’s rights fit into the stitutions such as hospitals ing casualty rates, includ- government. The Taliban
level of consensus among definition of the “Islamic and schools, as well as na- ing from stepped up U.S. have steadfastly refused to
Afghanistan’s fissiparous values,” as well as whether tional infrastructure such as airstrikes. talk with President Ashraf
society. to set up an interim admin- hydro-electric dams. They Even as the conference Ghani’s government call-
No date was given for the istration and when elec- also agreed to be more was ending, an airstrike ing it a puppet.q
UN says death toll from Libya fighting passes 1,000

By SAMY MAGDY cluding 289 civilians. people, mainly migrants
Associated Press The battle lines have held in a hangar that col-
CAIRO (AP) — The battle changed little since the of- lapsed on top of them.
between rival militias for fensive began, with both Libya slid into chaos after
the Libyan capital has killed sides dug in and shelling the 2011 uprising that top-
more than 1,000 people one another in the south- pled and killed long-ruling
since it began in April, the ern reaches of the capi- dictator Moammar Gad-
U.N. said Tuesday, a grim tal. Militias aligned with the hafi. Armed groups have
milestone in a stalemated government recently re- proliferated, and the coun-
conflict partly fueled by re- captured Gharyan, a town try has emerged as a ma-
gional powers. some 100 kilometers (60 jor transit point for migrants
Forces loyal to Khalifa Hift- In this June 15, 2019, file photo, a vehicle and structure is miles) west of the city that fleeing war and poverty for
er, a veteran army officer, damaged from fighting in the region of Tajoura, east of the is on a major supply route. a better life in Europe.
opened an offensive on Libyan capital Tripoli. The fighting has emptied Hifter’s supporters say he is
Tripoli in early April, advanc- Associated Press entire neighborhoods of the only leader who can
ing on the city’s southern the country’s many mili- Turkey and Qatar. civilians. Thousands of Afri- end militia rule, reunite the
outskirts and clashing with tias, and enjoys the support The World Health Organi- can migrants captured by country and keep it from
an array of militias loosely of Egypt, the United Arab zation said in a brief state- Libyan forces supported being a safe haven for ter-
affiliated with the U.N.-rec- Emirates and Russia. But it ment that 1,048 people by the European Union are rorists. They point to his suc-
ognized government. has faced stiff resistance have been killed since the trapped in detention cen- cess in defeating Islamic
Hifter’s self-styled Libyan from fighters aligned with offensive began, including ters near the front lines. An militants and other rival
National Army is the larg- the U.N.-recognized gov- 106 civilians. It says 5,558 airstrike on one facility last factions in eastern Libya
est and best organized of ernment, which is aided by have been wounded, in- week killed more than 50 over the past few years. q