KABUL: The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday said violence in Afghanistan was excessively high, adding Washington asked the warring parties ‘to stand back and indeed stand down.’
Pompeo was quoted by as saying by Reuters that he had met the Afghan peace negotiation teams on Nov 21, asking both sides to end and reduce the strife.
“I made clear to them that the violence levels can’t continue while these negotiations go on and it won’t work.”
Also, he asked the sides to prioritize some of the front-end issues, including a nationwide ceasefire”, telling both parties “to stand back and indeed stand down.”
