Your Excellency Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America

The residents of Afghanistan and Afghan diaspora abroad respectfully demand you to urge the Taliban to declare a complete ceasefire in Afghanistan immediately if they want to resume peace talks with the US government.

As you are aware of media reports and independently verifiable statistical data – some of which is provided by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA)- as many as 450 civilians, including women, children and elderly, were killed in the conflict in different parts of the country only in the month of August this year.

More than 50 civilians were killed on September 18 in two separate attacks, claimed by the Taliban, in the capital Kabul and northeastern Parwan province.

On September 19th at least 20 people died after the Taliban militants detonated an explosive-laden truck outside a hospital in southern Zabul province. Most of the dead were civilians in the horrific assault on the hospital that according to international law is a war crime.

The list of Taliban attacks on civilians, since you called off talks with the Taliban in September, is too long and innocent Afghans are bearing the brunt of the imposed war on daily basis.

If someone is neutral in such a situation of injustice and barbarism, they are understood as have chosen the side of the oppressor.

We, the citizens of Afghanistan, want an immediate, countrywide ceasefire. 

Mr. President, 

We are thus, requesting you to make ceasefire as the foremost and fundamental prerequisite for any talks with the Taliban in future.

We are humbly demanding you to take action that – as the President of the USA, leading the war on terrorism in Afghanistan – is your political and a moral responsibility.

We, the people of Afghanistan, thank you for considering this petition.

Yours Sincerely, 
Zarghona Mangal