The Taliban's Rule In Afghanistan: Strategies And Challenges

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021 has resulted in a rollback of women's rights, a struggling economy, and a fragile political situation. The group has imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law, restricting women's access to education, employment, and public life. The economy has been hit hard by sanctions, loss of foreign aid, and a decline in trade, resulting in high unemployment, malnutrition, and poverty. The Taliban faces internal divisions and external pressure from countries seeking to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups.

The Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda

The Taliban and al-Qaeda have a long history together, dating back to the 1980s when the Taliban emerged in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban's promise to prevent al-Qaeda and other militants from operating in areas that they controlled was a key part of the 2020 US-Taliban deal. However, the Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda has continued, and there are concerns that the Taliban will provide al-Qaeda with a safe haven from which to launch international terrorist attacks.

Al-Qaeda has historically paid the Taliban for its haven in Afghanistan, and the two groups have fought together against a common foe. They have also formed familial ties, with al-Qaeda militants marrying into Pashtun tribes in Taliban-controlled areas. The Taliban's protection of al-Qaeda has continued even after the US-Taliban deal, with the UN reporting that there are 200 to 500 al-Qaeda fighters across about 11 Afghan provinces. The Taliban has also provided al-Qaeda with training and allowed them to deploy fighters alongside its forces.

The Taliban has denied these claims, stating that there are no foreign fighters in Afghanistan and that al-Qaeda fled the country after the September 11 attacks. However, two Taliban commanders in Afghanistan have acknowledged the presence of foreign fighters, although they claim that they have made it mandatory that all foreign militants do not plan or execute any terrorist attacks against the US.

The economy and international sanctions

The economy in Afghanistan has been in a dire state since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021. The country's economy was already weak, with Afghanistan ranking at the bottom of several socioeconomic indices, such as the Human Development Index, and was heavily dependent on foreign aid. The Taliban's takeover resulted in the abrupt cutoff of nearly all foreign aid, amounting to about $8 billion per year, which caused a massive economic shock. The situation was further exacerbated by the ongoing collapse of the banking system, existing US and UN sanctions against Taliban leaders, and the freezing of Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves.

The economic situation in Afghanistan has led to mass unemployment, a collapse of the housing market, and increased malnutrition rates. The civilian government institutions, which were previously the country's largest employer, are now unable to pay salaries. The agriculture sector, which is crucial for the country's economy, has also been affected by drought and natural disasters.

The Taliban has implemented some macroeconomic policies that have helped stabilize the economy to some extent. They have benefited from learning during their years as an insurgency and have collected significant revenue by providing transporters with tax receipts and issuing mining permits. They have also clamped down on capital flight and corruption, which was rampant under the previous government.

However, the Taliban's restrictive policies towards women have had a devastating impact on the economy. By barring women from most paid jobs, the Taliban have deprived households of their sole or main source of income. This has also led to a "brain drain" of educated women leaving the country. Additionally, the Taliban's successful opium poppy cultivation ban has resulted in a significant loss of income for rural households.

The international community, led by the United States, has attempted to use the threat of reduced financial support to influence the Taliban's behaviour, particularly regarding women's rights and cutting links with international terrorist organizations. However, these efforts have largely failed, with the Taliban refusing to compromise on women's rights and continuing their relationship with groups like Al-Qaeda.

The US and its allies have imposed various economic sanctions on Afghanistan, targeting individuals and entities associated with the Taliban, as well as counternarcotics trafficking and counterterrorism efforts. These sanctions have restricted the Taliban's access to the international financial system and prevented them from utilizing the country's foreign exchange reserves. The US has also frozen Afghan central bank assets held within the US, amounting to roughly $9.4 billion.

The economic crisis in Afghanistan has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with acute malnutrition and food insecurity affecting a large portion of the population. The lack of access to food, water, shelter, and healthcare has had devastating consequences, with children starving to death and families resorting to desperate measures such as selling daughters into marriage to repay debts.

To address the humanitarian crisis, there have been calls for providing increased foreign assistance and easing sanctions to improve the flow of funds and resources for humanitarian aid. However, there are concerns that easing sanctions or providing direct access to assets could bolster the Taliban's rule and facilitate further human rights violations.

Human rights abuses

Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, human rights in the country have been severely restricted. Women's rights and freedoms have been particularly targeted, with women being banned from most public spaces and employment. Afghanistan is the only country in the world to ban education for women over the age of eleven. The Taliban's policies towards women are usually termed as gender apartheid.

The Taliban has imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, despite pledges to respect the rights of women and religious and ethnic minority communities. They have intimidated journalists and restricted press freedoms, leading to the closure of more than 200 news organizations. They have violently cracked down on demonstrations, and protesters and activists have been monitored and forcibly disappeared.

The Taliban has also reestablished its Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which enforces prohibitions on behavior deemed un-Islamic. In November 2022, they ordered judges to enforce their interpretation of Sharia law, and in the following weeks, authorities resumed public floggings and executions.

The Taliban has prohibited most girls from attending secondary school, banned all women from attending and teaching at universities, and prevented women from working. In December 2022, the group prohibited women from working at local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Amnesty International has reported a drastic increase in the number of women arrested for violating discriminatory policies, such as rules requiring women to only appear in public with a male chaperone and to completely cover their bodies.

Minority groups such as Hazaras face persecution and eviction from their lands. Authorities have used physical violence, raids, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, and enforced disappearances of activists and political opponents.

The Taliban's takeover has also wiped out gains in Afghans' standards of living that were made over the two decades after the U.S. invasion, according to the UN Development Program. In an October 2022 report, the agency said that almost all Afghans were living in poverty, with the economy shrinking by up to 30% since the takeover and an estimated 700,000 jobs lost. More than 90% of the population has been suffering from some form of food insecurity.

The Taliban's human rights abuses have drawn widespread condemnation from foreign governments, rights groups, and global bodies. The UN has documented numerous human rights violations and warned that the Taliban's restrictions on women are a major obstacle to gaining international recognition as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Overseas aid is drying up as major donors stop their funding, and the lack of funds is pushing more people into poverty.

Public services and infrastructure

The Taliban has struggled to provide basic services such as electricity and water delivery, and complex issues like macroeconomic policies and drought response remain unaddressed. The group has no technocratic capacity or experience in managing public services and infrastructure, and their rule has been marked by a lack of cohesion and internal schisms.

The healthcare system in Afghanistan is crumbling, with maternal mortality rates thought to have increased fourfold. The Taliban's ban on women working in the healthcare sector has further deteriorated the situation, as has the lack of funding for hospitals and other health services.

Education has also been severely impacted, with girls above 12 years old mostly excluded from classes and secondary schools for girls remaining closed. The Taliban's restrictions on women's employment and education have been a major obstacle to gaining international recognition and have resulted in the loss of overseas aid.

The Taliban has also failed to adequately address the country's housing crisis and rising unemployment rates. The group's inability to create jobs for the many now-unemployed soldiers of the Afghan security forces could lead to increased banditry and the formation of new militias.

Overall, the Taliban's rule has resulted in a significant decline in public services and infrastructure in Afghanistan, with the group lacking the capacity and cohesion to effectively manage the country's affairs.

The status of women and girls

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have imposed a series of restrictions that violate the human rights of women and girls. These restrictions have severely impacted their health, education, freedom of movement, expression, and association, and deprived many of earned income.

In the area of education, the Taliban have banned girls from attending school past the sixth grade and barred women from universities. In practice, this ban has been extended to prevent teenage girls from returning to secondary education, with only boys allowed to resume schooling. In some cases, girls have been called to return to school, only to be sent home the same day due to a "technical issue" related to their uniforms.

The Taliban have also prevented women across Afghanistan from working in most sectors beyond health and education. In April 2022, this ban was extended to include jobs with the UN, creating additional challenges in delivering humanitarian assistance. Women who were the primary wage earners for their families have lost their jobs and incomes, and many households have struggled to access food, water, shelter, and healthcare.

The Taliban have enforced strict guidelines on permissible clothing for women and girls, requiring them to cover themselves from head to toe in public and wear face coverings. Male relatives are held responsible for women's adherence to these rules and face punishment if their female family members refuse to comply.

The Taliban have also imposed restrictions on women's freedom of movement, ordering them to be accompanied by a male chaperone or mahram for long-distance journeys and decreeing that women should not leave their homes unless necessary. Women have reported that these restrictions have made their daily lives extremely difficult to manage and have increased their sense of insecurity.

The Taliban have dismantled systems that provided support for survivors of gender-based violence, closing shelters and appropriating them for their own use. This has left survivors of violence without access to legal representation, medical care, and psychosocial support, and has forced them to return to their families or live in unsustainable situations.

The Taliban have arbitrarily detained, tortured, and disappeared women and girls for violating their discriminatory rules, such as those related to dress codes and movement without a male chaperone. Women who have peacefully protested against these restrictions have faced harassment, threats, arrest, torture, and other ill-treatment.

The systemic discrimination and human rights abuses by the Taliban have had severe mental health consequences for women and girls, including feelings of insecurity, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, insomnia, and a deep sense of loss and helplessness.

Overall, the Taliban's policies and actions have had a devastating impact on the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan, erasing decades of progress on gender equality and women's rights.

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