China urges inclusive Afghan peace process

A Chinese envoy to the United Nations on Thursday stressed the importance of an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan and said all perpetrators of war crimes committed in the country be held accountable, a stance echoed by many of the speakers at the meeting.

"Afghanistan's future arrangements should be broadly representative and inclusive, so that all parties, ethnic groups and religious sects in Afghanistan can participate on (an) equal footing and share state power," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

"The international community should fully respect the will of the Afghan people and ensure the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned negotiation process. No external forces should be allowed to impose their will or seek gains,"Geng added.

Noting that the Afghan peace and reconciliation process has entered a period crucial to its future, he said China welcomes the first intra-Afghan negotiations launched in Doha on Sept 12 and congratulates both sides on reaching an agreement on the rules and procedures for negotiations a few days ago.

"History has proved time and again that the Afghan issue can only be resolved by political means," he said, adding that "the use of force will only plunge the country deeper into war".

The ambassador also urged the international community to strengthen its support for Afghan security forces to combat terrorism.

"China calls on all parties in Afghanistan to respond positively to the secretary-general's call for a global cease-fire and stop the violence and hostilities without delay," Geng said. "Under the current security situation, the withdrawal of foreign troops should be orderly and responsible in order to avoid leaving a security vacuum to the detriment of the national interests of Afghanistan and regional countries."

Shkula Zadran, Afghanistan's youth representative to the UN and a briefer at the meeting, stressed the importance for transparent peace talks that included and respected the needs of the youth, women and Afghan minorities.

"We do not want any political settlement that will serve the interests of others. We have already paid a huge price for the proxy wars, and if this peace process goes wrong, Afghans will be the victims again," Zadran said.

"The international forces, who have come to Afghanistan with a mandate and aim of maintaining law and order and protecting human rights and democracy, have also committed miserable war crimes."

Geng said Zadran's remarks, which denounced the various types of criminal acts committed by foreign troops in Afghanistan, reflected the will of the Afghan people and its public opinion.

"All the criminal acts need to be thoroughly investigated. All perpetrators need to be brought to justice. The international community should do justice to the Afghan people," he said.

Nathalie Broadhurst, deputy permanent representative of France to the UN, supported a peace negotiation process that include the voices of all parties, such as women and minorities.

"In particular, I would like to take this opportunity to recall that, in line with the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, the full and complete participation of women is absolutely essential if we want a lasting peace. The preservation of democratic gains is, of course, a sine qua non for peace," she said.

She reiterated that "peace must not be achieved at any price".

Christoph Heusgen, Germany's permanent representative to the UN, told Zadran that "whoever commits a war crime must be prosecuted. If impunity perseveres, there will not be a reconciliation and a peaceful future for the country," he said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.