From Helmand to Kabul: a 700 km march for peace

The marchers are walking under the sun, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees, respecting the Ramadan fast. The March began in May, in response to a suicide bombing in the city of Lashkargah and had reached Ghazni, 200 km from the capital.

Kabul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A journey of 700 km, under a scorching sun with temperatures of 40 degrees: This is the march of a group of Afghans who, having left Helmand, are threading the dangerous roads of Afghanistan to reach Kabul and raise their voices in a cry for peace.

It all began with nine people, who set out from Helmand province after a terrorist attack in the city of Lashkargah on March 26th. A suicide bomber blew himself up at a stadium, killing dozens of civilians. The attack resulted in a series of peace demonstrations, launched by the victims' relatives to cries for a ceasefire. "Our tears have not dried yet," declares one of the participants.

The marchers' requests have remained unanswered: on the contrary, violence is intensifying in the province. For this reason, on May 13, nine young activists decided to start a march across the country. Dozens have joined along the way: now there are about 50. The participants, who arrived yesterday in the provincial capital of Ghazni (in the photo), continue on their march even while observing the fasting imposed by Ramadan. The goal is to reach Kabul - about 200 km away - before the end of the holy month.

Peace, however, still seems far away, despite the declared ceasefire for Eid (June 15) between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Today, the Taliban attacked the Moqur police district in the province of Ghazni, killing five policemen. Yesterday, an ISIS terrorist killed 13 people in the capital, at the Afghan Ministry of Development and Rural Rehabilitation. His victims included women and children.

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• peace
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• helmand
• activists
• demonstration
• taliban
• isis