The Taliban government and officials gathered in Afghanistan’s Loya Jirga assembly hall to mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power. They claimed to have brought stability and ended conflict following decades of turmoil. However, a senior UN official highlighted a severe human rights crisis, with girls over age 12 denied education.

The Taliban seized control on August 15, 2021, as US and NATO troops withdrew after a costly 20-year war. The pullout led to chaos at Kabul airport, with desperate masses trying to flee. Shortly after, the Taliban banned education for girls beyond sixth grade and later barred higher education for women. They had previously promised access to education, jobs, and public participation for women.

Women are also restricted from public spaces like gyms and parks, participating in sports, and traveling far without a male guardian.

Celebration in Kabul

At the Loya Jirga, foreign representatives and thousands of citizens gathered for speeches. They commemorated Afghanistan’s ‘liberation’ from US forces. Hamdula Fitrat, the deputy government spokesperson, expressed hope for continuous peace under a Sharia-based government.

Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy prime minister for administrative affairs, claimed the Taliban ended external interventions and internal conflict, restoring security. He recalled that 300 young Afghans died daily, leaving widows and orphans. Hanafi credited the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan for ending this tragedy. No women participated in the ceremony.

International Isolation

Five years later, the Taliban government remains isolated globally, with Russia the only country to recognize it formally. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi urged countries to engage with the government, emphasizing mutual benefits.

Security Measures in Kabul

In Kabul, men gathered with Taliban flags, chanting slogans supporting the government. Vehicle convoys caused traffic jams. Security was tight, with checkpoints manned by Taliban security forces on the main road to the Loya Jirga.

Celebrations occurred in other provinces, displaying Taliban flags and slogans along roads and markets.

UN Warns of Worsening Human Rights Crisis

In a video message, Richard Bennett, UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan’s human rights situation, said the country faces a human rights crisis. He questioned the existence of real peace, highlighting deteriorating rights, especially for women and girls. His mandate concluded that this system equates to a crime against humanity, especially gender-based persecution.

Bennett’s report documented arbitrary detentions, torture, extra-judicial executions, torture, restricted freedom of expression, attacks on journalists, and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities and LGBT+ individuals.

Bennett cautioned against normalizing Taliban policies, warning it legitimizes discrimination and undermines victims’ struggles.

Education and Humanitarian Concerns

In an interview with The Associated Press, Molvi Hayatula Mahajar Farahi, the Taliban’s deputy minister for broadcasting, said the government provided security, infrastructure, and jobs despite challenges. He did not address girls’ education but claimed significant investment in universities.

UNESCO estimates 2.4 million girls are denied secondary education. The UN World Food Program reported severe child malnutrition in a third of Afghan provinces, likely to worsen due to funding shortages. UN Women stated Afghan women and girls face the world’s strictest restrictions, harming the country’s future and undermining its social and economic foundations due to a lack of female professionals.

Report by Fraser from Ankara, Turkey.