Afghanistan

Taliban urged to lay down arms and be part of Afghanistan's future

The Prime Minister has today issued a direct appeal to the Taliban to lay down their arms and join the political process in Afghanistan.

On the final day of a two-day visit to the country, David Cameron drew a direct comparison to the situation in Northern Ireland, where former terrorists were now in government alongside one-time enemies.

At a joint press conference in Kabul with President Hamid Karzai, he insisted the Taliban could not succeed in their struggle and urged them to give up the fight and become "part of the future of this country".

He stressed the need for reconciliation in Afghanistan if the country was to move forward.

He said: "It is very difficult to reconcile with people who have been killing your own soldiers, or your own countrymen.

"To the Taliban, the message is very clear: stop killing, stop bombing, stop fighting, put down your weapons, join the political process and you can be part of the future of this country.

"I have seen it in my own country, in Northern Ireland, where people who were involved in trying to kill, to maim and bomb civilians and police officers, Army personnel and even politicians, have actually become politicians themselves and are involved in the governance of that country.

"It can happen and the message to the Taliban is: you cannot win this fight, you are losing this fight."