Members of Helmand Peace Convoy started their sit-in protest outside Russia embassy in Kabul on Friday. The activists ended a 10-day sit-in protest outside US embassy in Kabul.
A spokesman for the convoy, Bismillah Watandost, said Afghans have not forget the pains they suffered during the Soviet Union presence in Afghanistan and that Russia is still involved in Afghanistan’s crisis.
“People of Russia should ask their government that why they interfere in Afghanistan’s war? Why the (Russian) government provides equipment to the warring groups? Why their advisers have met with a number of groups?” asked Watandost.
He said their goal from the sit-in protest outside Russian embassy is to pass on the message to Moscow to help Afghanistan in ending the current war and brining peace in the country.
The peace activists protested outside the US embassy for 10 days where they expressed their demands from the US in a letter to the Americans.
Sealing a permanent ceasefire among the warring parties; specifying an address for peace talks; establishment of a peaceful government based on Islamic values; and determining an exact date for the withdrawal of foreign forces are among the activists’ key demands.
“Our campaign started outside UNAMA’s office and now it is in front of the US embassy. Tomorrow we will move to the Russian embassy,” said campaign leader Iqbal Khyber on Thursday.
Among the protesters heading to the embassy of Russia, Nasibullah is the youngest member, who just joined the convoy on Thursday.
Nasibullah, 7, is from Zabul province and according to him, he wants to call on warring parties to end the conflict.
“Afghans are killed in wars, that is why I have joined the peace convoy,” said Nasibullah.
His teacher, Fahimullah Shahab, said he went to Zabul some days ago to visit his family and during his stay at his home province, he visited his students at school.
“During Eid days and ceasefire between government and Taliban, he saw people were happy and were together like brothers. So he was happy more than me and said anywhere you go I will go with you,” Shahab, member of the convoy, said.
“This seven years old child goes with us and he says that he wants peace. It is very unfortunate for us that bloodshed is ongoing in Afghanistan,” Bakht Mohammad, another member of the convoy, said.
The peace activists arrived in Kabul last month walking from southern Helmand province all the way to Afghanistan’s capital city. It took the activists 38 days to arrive in Kabul city after passing few provinces.
The activists said after ending their protest outside the embassy of Russia, they will start their sit-in protest outside Pakistan embassy in Kabul.