At least 25 members of the People’s Peace Movement were taken by the Taliban probably for talks about issues around the Afghan peace process, one member of the movement confirmed on Sunday but the fate of these marchers remain vague.
Members of the peace movement said that there should be clarity on the fate of their colleagues taken by the Taliban.
The 50-member peace convoy began their journey to Taliban-influenced areas in southern Helmand province on Thursday, May 31.
Pacha Khan Mawladad, a member of the People’s Peace Movement, previously said that the Taliban had taken another 20 members of the movement at around 5pm on Monday. He said this is concerning and that they have no idea whether the Taliban has taken the activists for talks.
“We do not have any information that when the talks will start whether they are allowed or not. We the officials and the Taliban to continue talks with our friends,” said Mawladad, member of PTM.
“We hope that they agree on a declaration and analyze that what is the solution for the Afghan people,” said PTM member Abdul Hamid Khanjari.
“We are not informed about the talks or anything else. We call on our Taliban brothers to inform us about our friends,” said Attaullah, PTM member.
This comes after the New York Time recently reported that the Taliban had warned members of the movement to refrain from entering their territory.
The Taliban so far has not commented.
The Helmand Peace Convoy
The People’s Peace Movement, also called the Helmand Peace Convoy, initially started their activities when a group of at least a dozen activists staged a protest in Lashkargah City last year in March 2018 against an attack that killed around 16 people that month. About a month later, the activists left Helmand on foot for Kabul.
The activists walked through towns and villages, crossed provinces and met with local residents along the way. For 38 days, they walked and as they progressed, so their numbers grew.
About 700kms later, the group of eight had grown to an estimated 100. They arrived in Kabul on June 18 and handed over demands for a ceasefire and peace to both the Afghan government and the Taliban.
During their stay in Kabul, they held sit-in protests outside diplomatic offices in Kabul. They also met with President Ghani on a Kabul street where they asked him to accelerate the peace efforts.
The activists, whose ages ranged from 17 to 65, came from all walks of life and include students, athletes and farmers among others. It was these and other activists that then extended their walk from Kabul to Balkh.