United Nations says unity government "only way" for Afghanistan

(Vatican Radio) The head of the UN Mission to Afghanistan said on Thursday there is no better way forward for the country than a national unity government.

Last September, the two candidates to the Afghan presidency signed an agreement to form a National Unity Government, where Ashraf Ghani would be President, and Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer.

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“The agreement between the two candidates ended a political crisis that, if unresolved, would have at best left the country divided and at worst, could have reignited past cycles of conflicts,” said Nicholas Haysom, the head of UNAMA, the United Nations Mission to Afghanistan.

“President Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah recognized that this  moment called for genuine statesmanship and they themselves suggested that the choice they faced was to swim together or to sink separately,” he said.

The country is working to restore stability after years of coups, foreign military occupation and the Taliban insurgency.