Afghanistan’s economy has deteriorated significantly since the Taliban’s return to power, owing largely to a reduction in international aid flows. Many well-educated Afghans have left the country, leaving Taliban-controlled Afghanistan short on entrepreneurs, skilled workers, and domestic capital resources. Taliban success in curbing official corruption and the end of the civil war partly mitigates the economic difficulties; yet half the […]

One year after their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have struggled to govern the country, maintained a close relationship with al-Qaeda, and fostered an atmosphere of violence, insecurity, and economic stagnation. The situation for women and girls in Afghanistan has drastically deteriorated since the Taliban consolidated power in August 2021, with access to education and employment being greatly curtailed. The […]

One year after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, fighting has decreased considerably. Yet serious security problems remain, not least the foreign militants still in the country. External actors should press the new authorities to fulfil their commitments and avoid any steps that could reignite large-scale violence. What’s new? The world’s deadliest war subsided into an uneasy calm after the Taliban […]

On August 8, 2022, four soldiers were killed in a suicide blast targeting a military convoy in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Two days later, on August 10, Ittehad Musallah Islami Mujahideen (IMAM)’s spokesperson Abu Basheer Waziristani claimed responsibility for the attack. On August 3, 2022, two policemen were killed and another two […]

Because they are the broken heart of this story. “I don’t want to be buried in Afghanistan.” My grandfather’s piercing blue eyes glazed over, belying the certainty in his voice. His request before his death in 2011 may have sounded unusual coming from a proud Kandahari man, a former Afghan diplomat turned prolific Pashtun scholar. But to me and my […]