Kabul marks fifth anniversary of Taliban rule with public rallies
Taliban supporters in Kabul celebrated the fifth anniversary of the group's return to power, as officials hailed stability and the UN flagged grave human rights concerns.
Kabul witnessed public celebrations on Saturday as supporters of the Taliban marked the fifth anniversary of the group's return to power. Men gathered in squares carrying Taliban flags and chanting slogans in support of the government, while convoys of vehicles wound through the city, causing traffic jams.
Some residents decorated their vehicles with flags and yellow jerrycans, a display that appeared to evoke memories of past explosions. One police officer from Logar Province, Ezzatullah, said the containers "played a crucial role in the liberation of Afghanistan."
"You see the white flags; it is Independence Day. It is the fifth anniversary; Alhamdulillah the Islamic Emirate has been established," said Zainullah Zakir, a Kabul resident. "The entire nation stands with us; people have been celebrating this day with great enthusiasm since yesterday."
Officials gathered at Afghanistan's traditional Loya Jirga assembly hall for a formal ceremony, joined by some foreign representatives and thousands of citizens. Deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said the government prayed for the country to be "forever protected from occupation, aggression, wars, and insecurity." No women were present at the event.
Similar celebrations were held in provinces across Afghanistan, with flags and posters displayed along major roads and marketplaces. Security was tight, with heavy Taliban security force presence and several checkpoints on a main road leading to the Loya Jirga.
A top United Nations official, however, warned of a grave human rights crisis in the country, where girls above the age of 12 are denied an education. The Taliban seized power on August 15, 2021, as U.S. and NATO troops withdrew following a two-decade war. Since then, the administration has banned girls' education beyond sixth grade, barred women from higher education, and restricted their access to public spaces and travel without a male guardian.
Five years on, the Taliban government remains internationally isolated, with Russia being the only country to have formally recognized it.