KABUL/ISLAMABAD — The Taliban marked five years in power on Saturday, seeking to portray their government as in control even as aid and rights groups warned of escalating crises, reports BritPanorama.
Outside the former U.S. embassy in Kabul, armoured Taliban vehicles took part in a parade, displaying flags and banners, celebrating what the government described as “victory day” from Western domination.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, stated in a video address that their return to power was the result of “morale, courage” and “divine assistance.”
However, he also acknowledged “issues and problems that may still exist.”
International organisations and the U.N. assert that the Taliban have struggled to address the natural and humanitarian crises Afghanistan has faced in the last five years, partly due to severe restrictions placed on Afghan women.
Moreover, the Taliban have faced a series of assassinations of key regional officials in the northeast of the country recently. In late July, the Taliban’s information director in Badakhshan was killed in an attack later claimed by Islamic State. Local reports indicate the mayor of Badakhshan’s capital also died in an attack on Thursday.
Reports from Taliban officials regarding these incidents are yet to be confirmed.
Diplomatic inroads
Upon their return to power in 2021 following the U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban promised to govern more liberally than during their previous regime from the late 1990s to early 2000s, a period known for public executions and the destruction of cultural heritage.
However, human rights groups argue that those assurances quickly diminished. Since 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, barring approximately 2.5 million from secondary schools and universities, according to UNESCO data. This has led to reports indicating that half of Afghan women only leave their homes once or twice a month.
The Taliban claim to respect women’s rights in line with Islamic sharia law.
Five years on, the Taliban government remains internationally unrecognised, with Russia being the only country to have formally acknowledged it. Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan, once their most significant partner, have become strained amid accusations from Islamabad that Kabul supports Pakistani insurgents.
Many former embassies in Kabul remain vacant since the Taliban’s takeover, including the U.S. embassy, which was the backdrop for Saturday’s celebrations.
Despite this, analysts suggest the Taliban have quietly made diplomatic strides as some nations reassess their influence in Afghanistan and the necessity of engaging with the government.
The Taliban are increasingly pursuing arrangements with European nations seeking to deport more Afghans. Additionally, the government in Kabul is leveraging its strategic position to secure economic deals between South and Central Asia and the Middle East.
Zia Ahmad Takal, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban’s foreign ministry, informed that ceremonies marking the government’s fifth anniversary are expected to be held in Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey, and Malaysia.
“My hope for the future of Afghanistan is that we will move toward development, God willing,” said Najibullah Ghorzang, a 28-year-old shop owner who attended the celebrations in Kabul. He added, “We defeated a great empire, and we will defeat them again,” referring to the U.S. and its allies.
Existential worries
On Friday, the International Rescue Committee cautioned that Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels due to droughts, deadly earthquakes, and the deportation of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan.
As foreign aid budgets decline, the number of Afghans requiring humanitarian assistance has surged by 3.5 million since 2021.
“Sustainable peace and prosperity require more than just an absence of conflict,” stated Georgette Gagnon, a senior U.N. representative on Afghanistan. “Afghanistan’s future depends on building a society in which the rights and potential of all Afghans are realised.”
Fatima, 28, has faced challenges in caring for her child since the Taliban’s return to power. After fleeing to Iran, where she could work as a make-up artist, she was expelled and returned to Afghanistan last year.
“Every morning, I wake up wondering how I will cover my basic living expenses, and every night I close my eyes with worries about my child’s future,” she said.
