Taliban Marks Five Years of Rule in Afghanistan

The Government of the Taliban marked five years of rule in Afghanistan with a ceremony celebrating the country's liberation from foreign occupation. Deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat stated the government's goal is to ensure peace and prosperity under Sharia law. This milestone follows the August 2021 withdrawal of United States and coalition forces, which ended a two-decade conflict that resulted in 2,448 American service deaths and approximately 363,000 Afghan civilian deaths.

Under Supreme Leader Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, the regime has consolidated absolute authority, ending decades of civil war and weakening the Islamic State-Khorasan Province. The government shifted its economic model from foreign aid to tax collection and resource extraction deals with China, Iran, and Qatar, while reducing opium production by approximately 95% following a 2022 ban. Despite these shifts, 45% of the population requires urgent aid after the United States Agency for International Development froze $1.7 billion in contracts in 2025.

Human rights conditions have deteriorated, with the United Nations characterizing the system as a crime against humanity involving gender persecution. Girls remain barred from education beyond the sixth grade, and new laws have effectively legalized child marriage. While the Federal Government of Russia has recognized the regime and signed a military pact, Western governments and the UN continue to withhold formal recognition.