The Taliban celebrates 5 years in power - but the cracks are widening
Five years after returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban is celebrating in Kabul and projecting stability. However, threats on the ground are growing: conflict with Pakistan, insurgent attacks, hunger, unemployment, and international isolation.
Black and white flags waved today, Saturday, in the streets of Kabul as the Taliban movement marked five years since its return to power. Shiny vehicles drove past graffiti praising the "sacrifice" of the organization's fighters, and young Afghans sang songs of independence under banners celebrating the "removal of the carpet of democracy" in favor of Islamic rule. However, as reported by The New York Times, this triumphant tone is only half the story.
While in Kabul it appears that the Taliban rules with an iron fist, real cracks are appearing in other regions. The organization is facing a series of internal and external crises that threaten its stability. A conflict with neighboring Pakistan threatens to erupt into a full-scale war, and a new wave of attacks by armed groups is sweeping the country. Add to this mass unemployment, international isolation, and growing citizen dissatisfaction, and it seems the Taliban is facing its most serious threats since the summer of 2021.
The image of security that the Taliban has cultivated is fraying. Recently, a resistance group claimed responsibility for the assassination of a Taliban-appointed mayor in a northern province. Badakhshan province, which borders China, Pakistan, and Tajikistan, is emerging as a hotbed of clashes. Local residents, exhausted by the regime's iron fist and the lack of economic opportunities, are increasingly supporting rebel groups.
Life in Kabul, Afghanistan under Taliban rule (Photo: Reuters)
At the same time, tension in the east is rising. Pakistan, once considered a patron of the Taliban, has carried out dozens of airstrikes on Afghan territory, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, and is threatening to escalate its actions. The Taliban, for its part, accuses Islamabad of supporting the rebels.
In the civilian sphere, the situation is equally grim. Extreme hunger is spreading due to cuts in international aid. The ban imposed by the Taliban on education for women and girls prevents 2.4 million girls from attending school and stifles economic development. Despite rare protests, such as the demonstration last June where participants called for "work, education, freedom," the regime's repression remains brutal.
In an interview with The New York Times, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi insisted:
"Our greatest achievement in the last five years is security."
Since the Taliban itself has ceased suicide bombings and school attacks, there may be some truth to his claim. However, experts warn that all the ingredients for a renewed loss of control are already present. A massive population of unemployed youth provides fertile ground for radicalization, and in the absence of significant international alliances, Afghanistan remains a pariah state. The country's fragile peace is in greater danger than ever.
