Protesters have taken to the streets in Bonn, Germany, calling for an immediate conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan ahead of an international conference in the city on the war-torn country’s future set to open on Monday. The demonstration also turned against the German army’s long-term stationing on foreign soil and demanded Afghanistan resume peace as soon as possible, Xinhua news agency reported. Delegates from some 85 countries and 16 international organisations, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, are expected to attend the international moot. The conference is overshadowed by Pakistan’s boycott, which has cast great doubts over whether it could come up with a complete settlement. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who arrived in Germany on Friday and held talks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, will address the opening of the conference, which places primarily its agenda on shifting the responsibilities of maintaining security onto the Afghan government after NATO leaves.
