Taliban mark five years in power as global engagement grows despite rights crackdown
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Taliban mark five years in power as global engagement grows despite rights crackdown
Afghanistans humanitarian crisis deepens five years after Taliban takeover: hunger, education bans and mass returns strain nation
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The Taliban marked five years in power in Afghanistan on Saturday, with authorities celebrating what they called the country’s “freedom” and security, while critics condemned the regime’s tightening restrictions on daily life.
The Islamist group seized control of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S. troops and the collapse of Afghanistan’s democratically elected government. Since then, the Taliban have imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law, banning women from universities, most employment, and secondary education, according to the United Nations . The U.N. described Afghanistan as a “graveyard for human rights” in March, citing a “cascade of edicts” that also include strict dress codes and the persecution of minorities .
Despite international condemnation, the Taliban have broken out of diplomatic isolation, with regional and global powers increasingly engaging with the regime. India, Qatar, China, Iran, and several Central Asian states have renewed ties or opened new communication channels, while Russia recognized the Taliban government in Kabul just over a year ago and signed a military cooperation agreement last month . The European Union held talks with Taliban officials in Brussels in June about returning failed asylum-seekers to Afghanistan .
Human rights groups and activists warn that the regime’s policies have led to severe repression. According to UNICEF, 2.6 million girls are now excluded from schools and universities, and Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are banned from education beyond primary school . The Taliban have also banned music and female singing, while women are largely barred from public life without a male guardian .
The humanitarian situation has deteriorated, with the public health system largely collapsed and Afghanistan suffering the highest maternal mortality rate in Asia, at 638 deaths per 100,000 live births . Campaigners fear that renewed diplomatic engagement risks undermining demands for human rights improvements. Shivam Shekhawat of the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi said the Taliban view any contact as a diplomatic win, capitalizing on it as a sign of legitimacy .
Afghan women have described the past five years as a period of extreme restriction. Roya, a 23-year-old in Kabul, told *La Vanguardia* that she once played on a women’s soccer team but now faces bans on entering parks or gyms. She recalled the chaos of the Taliban’s takeover, when desperate civilians clung to departing U.S. planes, some falling to their deaths . “They stole my education and my adolescence,” she said .
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Articles
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taz.de · 1 day ago
The Taliban government celebrates five years of ruling Afghanistan on Saturday, with the authorities hailing their countrys "freedom" and security, while critics decry tightening restrictions in all areas of daily life. u.afp.com/SHuD
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