Amid unending bickering between Afghan government leaders, the United States has asked Kabul not to let their mutual disputes harm security of Afghanistan – facing a tenuous situation in the face of Taliban insurgency and governance failures.
While Secretary of State John Kerry has called for preservation of the national unity government in Kabul, the top American commander in the landlocked country has cautioned against fallout of the political situation.
Afghanistan’s political instability ebbed dangerously recently when chief executive officer Abdullah Abdullah declared that President Ashraf Ghani was unfit to run affairs of the state.
U.S. General John Nicholson, who also heads the NATO forces said in a statement:
“RS (Resolute Support) respects the Afghan political process, but has no involvement with it. Our only message to all involved is please don’t let the political process undermine the security gains and progress within the security institutions that have been made over the last six-nine months.
The comments were first reported by Voice of America.
Afghan ethnic tensions have long defined the country’s political and security outlook.
Abdullah, whose draws his support from Northern communities, complains that Ghani, a Pashtun, has not honored provisions of a political accord the two reached in 2014.
In reaction, President Ghani slammed the comments as unhelpful and “not in line with the spirit and principles that shape the foundation of governance.”
