**The Complex Landscape Of Afghanistan's Leadership**

Afghanistan is currently ruled by the Taliban, a Sunni Islamist nationalist and pro-Pashtun movement. The Taliban first came to power in 1996 and ruled most of Afghanistan until they were routed by US-led forces in 2001. In 2021, the Taliban returned to power after the US withdrew its remaining troops from the country.

The Taliban government is led by a 33-member caretaker cabinet of men who are former Taliban officials or individuals loyal to the group. The supreme leader of the Taliban is Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has not been seen publicly in years. The acting prime minister is Mohammad Hassan Akhund, and the acting interior minister is Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Since regaining control, the Taliban have imposed strict restrictions on women and girls, limiting their access to education, employment, and public life. The Taliban have also cracked down on press freedoms and restricted freedom of expression, leading to the closure of more than 200 news organizations. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated under Taliban rule, with nearly half of the population projected to be acutely food insecure.

The Taliban's harsh treatment of women and girls

In terms of education, the Taliban have banned girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and prohibited women from attending universities. They have also banned boys and girls from receiving a co-education. This has had a significant impact on the future prospects of Afghan women and girls, with female university students describing their situation as "I am a prisoner of my gender" and "We have no future.".

When it comes to employment, the Taliban have barred women from working in most sectors, including government offices, the justice system, and international organizations. They have also prohibited women from working on women's empowerment projects and running certain businesses. This has resulted in a loss of livelihood for many women and limited their ability to support themselves and their families.

The Taliban have also imposed restrictions on women's access to healthcare. For example, women are not allowed to be treated by male doctors unless they are accompanied by a male chaperone, which has led to illnesses going untreated. The Taliban have also closed female-run medical centers and banned female healthcare workers from some areas, further limiting women's access to healthcare.

In addition to these restrictions, the Taliban have imposed strict rules on women's dress and movement. Women are required to wear a burqa or Arab-style hijab when outside the home and must be accompanied by a male relative. They are banned from travelling long distances without a male chaperone and are restricted from entering public spaces such as parks, gyms, and historic places. The Taliban have also banned women from participating in sports and banned beauty salons, further limiting women's ability to engage in recreational activities.

The Taliban's restrictions have had a significant impact on the mental health of women and girls, with reports of depression and suicide, especially among adolescent girls who are prevented from pursuing education. The restrictions have also limited women's access to routine and emergency healthcare, putting their health and sexual and reproductive rights at risk.

The Taliban's treatment of women and girls has been widely condemned by the international community, with experts stating that it may amount to "gender persecution" and a "crime against humanity." Despite this, the Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has praised the changes imposed since the takeover, claiming that life has improved for Afghan women.

The Taliban's internal power struggles

The Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, has been described as having a tight grip on all decision-making. He has been characterised as impervious to criticism and has repeatedly dismissed input from other Taliban factions, especially those with more pragmatic and internationally oriented outlooks. Haibatullah's Kandahar-based clique has been accused of making decisions that negatively impact the country, such as the ban on women working for NGOs in Afghanistan, which has had devastating consequences on humanitarian aid.

The Taliban's exclusionary Pashtun-centered rule has been criticised for being highly repressive towards all forms of opposition. They have been accused of eviscerating individual rights and severely limiting women's access to education, jobs, and even basic freedoms like travel and medical care. The Taliban's decision-making has become concentrated in the hands of a few, with power centralised in Kandahar.

There are also reports of internal dissension within the Taliban, with some non-Pashtun members feeling marginalised and excluded from decision-making. Additionally, the group has struggled to manage challenges in urban areas and regions with non-Pashtun ethnic communities. The Taliban's heavy-handed tactics, including arbitrary detentions, torture, and extrajudicial killings, have deepened grievances and fuelled resistance.

The Taliban's response to armed opposition has varied, with some instances of brutal crackdowns and other attempts at more nuanced approaches. They have also struggled to contain the threat from the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has carried out attacks on civilians and targeted religious minorities.

Overall, the Taliban's internal power struggles are characterised by ideological differences, factional rivalries, and disagreements over policy and strategy. These struggles have significant implications for Afghanistan's stability and the group's ability to govern effectively.

The Taliban's relationship with al-Qaeda

The Taliban and al-Qaeda have a long history of cooperation and collaboration. The Taliban is an Afghan militant movement with an ideology comprising elements of Pashtun nationalism and the Deobandi current of Islamic fundamentalism. The group first emerged in the early 1990s in northern Pakistan following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban's leadership is predominantly Pashtun, and the group's name, "students" in Pashto, reflects the fact that its members were educated in traditional Islamic schools, or madrasas.

After the US invasion, the Taliban launched an insurgency against the US-backed government in Kabul. During this time, the Taliban continued to work with al-Qaeda, and al-Qaeda provided support to the Taliban. In 2020, the Taliban and the US signed an agreement in which the Taliban committed to restraining jihadist groups, including al-Qaeda, from organizing international terrorism from Afghanistan. However, there are concerns that the Taliban will not uphold this agreement, as they have maintained ties with al-Qaeda despite intense US targeting pressure.

The Taliban's political project is also built around the centrality of jihad and its own status as guardians of Islam in Afghan society, which aligns with al-Qaeda's jihadist project. As a result, the Taliban is unlikely to break ties with al-Qaeda, and the US needs to be clear-eyed about the challenge at hand.

The Taliban's impact on the economy

The Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islamic law has restricted women's rights, with most women banned from working. The UN Development Program (UNDP) estimates that restricting women's employment could cost up to 5% of Afghanistan's gross domestic product (GDP).

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

The Taliban's rule has also led to a pause in aid from some countries and international organizations, which had been the lifeline of the economy and public health sector. The World Bank has provided more than $1.7 billion in support to the Afghan people since August 2021.

The Taliban's restrictions on women and girls have also drawn condemnation from foreign governments, rights groups, and global bodies, creating a major obstacle to gaining international recognition as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

The Taliban have held investment talks with countries in the region, including China and Kazakhstan, and have stabilized the Afghan currency, the afghani. However, they continue to face sanctions and have had billions of dollars in assets frozen. The international community will only take steps towards recognizing the Taliban once they take certain actions, including lifting restrictions on women and girls.

The Taliban's suppression of free speech and political activity

Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the group has suppressed free speech and political activity. The Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islamic law has resulted in the restriction of various civil liberties, including freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly.

The Taliban have intimidated and detained journalists, leading to self-censorship and exile. They have also violently cracked down on demonstrations, with protesters and activists being monitored and forcibly disappeared. In addition, the Taliban have restricted the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and imposed strict rules on women's appearance and behaviour, prohibiting them from working, attending school, or travelling without a male chaperone.

The Taliban's approach to free speech and political activity is consistent with their broader strategy of imposing control over Afghan society. By targeting critics and dissenters, the group aims to eliminate any opposition and solidify their rule. This has led to a climate of fear and intimidation, with Afghans self-censoring and fleeing the country to avoid persecution.

The suppression of free speech and political activity under the Taliban has had far-reaching consequences, eroding the progress made during the two decades of Western intervention in Afghanistan. The media sector has contracted significantly, with journalists facing restrictions, harassment, and physical violence. Additionally, the space for civil society and human rights organizations to operate has diminished, further limiting the ability of Afghans to express their views and engage in political activities.

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