On 26 December, 27 Afghan peace activists were released by Taliban insurgents after being held for 45 hours.
The activists from the People’s Peace Movement (PPM) were detained by the Taliban in Farah Province, western Afghanistan. Their six-car delegation was part of a national speaking tour urging all sides to agree to a ceasefire.
The PPM, which began in early 2018 in Helmand province, said this was the fourth time its peace marchers had been kidnapped by the Taliban.
The group carried out a 32-day, 260-mile peace walk from Kabul to Balkh in August 2018. Many walkers were barefoot.
This was a continuation of their first action, in March–June 2018, a 430-mile peace walk from Helmand to Kabul. (This led to their first name, the Helmand Peace March.)