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Afghanistan is currently several hours into an unprecedented and ill-defined political test, a seven-day “reduction in violence” by parties to the country’s brutal war — the Taliban, the

United States and by association, the Afghan National Security Forces. The “reduction” may not have been the wall-to-wall ceasefire the Kabul government was pushing for, but it has become

increasingly clear that they have had little choice but to abide by it. It comes as the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has said that a deal will be signed with the Taliban on February

29. The week-long reduction in violence, which comes after the two sides negotiated battlefield terms, is seen as a test of sincerity that could lead to a lasting cessation of America’s

longest war. Over the last year, as the Taliban and Washington engaged in face-to-face talks, the national unity government had been locked out of the negotiations. This led to fears among

the Afghan people, particularly the educated, urban youth and women, who envisaged Afghanistan turning into a theocratic state like Iran or Saudi Arabia. Since then, the country has endured

a presidential election that was beset by accusations of corruption and fraud. With the outcome of that election, held last September, finally announced last week, fear of a Taliban takeover

has been compounded by the uncertainty around yet another political crisis. Shortly after President Ashraf Ghani (pictured) celebrated the announcement of his second term, his chief rival,

Abdullah Abdullah, rejected the results and declared that he would establish an “inclusive government” of his own. So now, the Afghan people are facing two great unknowns, a “reduction of

violence” with the Taliban and a still-disputed election that many fear will play into Taliban hands. All this is particularly worrisome since the insurgents, who claim to be a

government-in-exile, have disavowed and dismissed each of the last four presidential polls as illegitimate. Though the details may have changed, this state of flux is sadly not unknown to

the Afghan people, who have been forced to deal with four decades of conflict and political upheavals. In my travels across the country, particularly the Eastern and Western zones, one thing

has become clear — whether the political establishment agrees or not, the people want peace. This desire for peace has risen in tandem with soaring casualties and abuses of the civilian

population by armed groups like the Taliban and fighters claiming allegiance to the so-called Islamic State, but also by US and Afghan Forces. According to the United Nations, pro-government

forces were responsible for 1,149 deaths and 1,199 injuries to civilians in the period between January 1 and September 30, 2019. Foreign forces were responsible for 468 deaths and 214

injuries among civilians, representing a four-fold increase from the year before. In fact, on the same night that election results were announced, residents in the western province of Herat

reported that at least 11 civilians, including eight children, were killed in yet another US drone strike. This continued uptick in violence, particularly at provincial level, is why Afghans

have little choice but to be cautiously optimistic that the current reduction in violence will lead to a peace deal. None of this is to say that the Afghan people should be without worry

when it comes to a likely political settlement between the Kabul government — whoever that may end up including — and the nation’s largest armed opposition movement, the Taliban. In the last

two decades, the Afghan nation has made tremendous strides since the dark days of the civil war that followed 10 years of violent Soviet occupation and the five-year rule of the Taliban.

Over the last 19 years, the Afghan people, including women and minorities, have gained and regained numerous rights. Even if those rights are not always guaranteed or enforced, the sheer

fact of their existence is in itself a remarkable step towards a functional, capable state. Once a new government is established, whether it includes the Taliban or not, it must make an

effort to deliver rights and services to the entire population. We can no longer afford to be in a state where the people of a province like impoverished Ghor feel they must stage protests 

because they have not received the same attention and assistance as other provinces. Ghor is not unique. Residents in any number of provinces across the country feel they have been ignored

by the Kabul government. In the five years since the northern province of Kunduz became the first to briefly fall back into Taliban hands, the Kunduzi people have faced increasing crime and

insecurity while also being subject to several heinous aerial strikes carried out by US and Afghan forces. In the southern province of Zabul, violence and a lack of resources has seen the

continued closure of more than 70 per cent of public schools. Yes, Afghans want peace, but they also want assurance that the government in Kabul is addressing their needs. Regardless of how

a future Afghan government may look, we can longer afford to repeat the same mistakes that have plagued this country since the days of the Royal Kingdom, where entire swathes of the country

went unheard. In the end, Afghans may have found themselves embroiled in yet another political power game, but it is time for the Kabul government to take the demands of the people

seriously. Rather than looking at a potential peace deal as a threat to the status quo that has kept them in power, while exacerbating massive inequities and enabling unprecedented levels of

corruption, the country’s leaders must face the fact that this war cannot be won on the battlefield and give peace a real chance.