Legitimacy in Afghanistan
Background
In April, US president Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of US military from
Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. In July, President Biden accelerated the
withdrawal, and the US military left by August.
In may 2021 the Taliban had started an offensive (attack) against the government, and
when the US left Afghanistan in August, the Taliban deposed the government and took
control of the country. Kabul was overrun on August 15 and on the same day President
Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The Taliban named a cabinet in September, with
members coming from its upper echelons.
Afghans tried to flee their homes and the country in large numbers as the civil conflict
concluded. Several countries hosted them, with over 122,000 people going to the
United States. By the end of 2021, 700,000 people were newly displaced.
After deposing the elected government, the Taliban:
● restricted personal and political freedoms
● In September, it reconstituted a Ministry of Vice and Virtue (MVV), which had
enforced their interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law) under their previous regime.
● violently suppressed demonstrations
● restricted private discussion perceived as critical of its rule
● limited educational opportunities for female students
The military [Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) militant group] engaged in violent
attacks throughout the year:
● August 202: bombing near Kabul Airport that killed over 170 civilians and 13 US
military personnel.
● October: two mosque attacks that killed over 135 people
● November: attacked a military hospital in Kabul
Electoral Process
● In September, the Taliban declared the formation of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan (IEA) and installed an unelected government (where there is no
woman participation).
● Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the head of the movement’s Rehbari Shura
(Leadership Council), was named prime minister.
● Haibatullah Akhundzada, the movement’s leader, was named the IEA’s supreme
leader.
● Talibans abolished electoral bodies in 2021
Background
In April, US president Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of US military from
Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. In July, President Biden accelerated the
withdrawal, and the US military left by August.
In may 2021 the Taliban had started an offensive (attack) against the government, and
when the US left Afghanistan in August, the Taliban deposed the government and took
control of the country. Kabul was overrun on August 15 and on the same day President
Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The Taliban named a cabinet in September, with
members coming from its upper echelons.
Afghans tried to flee their homes and the country in large numbers as the civil conflict
concluded. Several countries hosted them, with over 122,000 people going to the
United States. By the end of 2021, 700,000 people were newly displaced.
After deposing the elected government, the Taliban:
● restricted personal and political freedoms
● In September, it reconstituted a Ministry of Vice and Virtue (MVV), which had
enforced their interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law) under their previous regime.
● violently suppressed demonstrations
● restricted private discussion perceived as critical of its rule
● limited educational opportunities for female students
The military [Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) militant group] engaged in violent
attacks throughout the year:
● August 202: bombing near Kabul Airport that killed over 170 civilians and 13 US
military personnel.
● October: two mosque attacks that killed over 135 people
● November: attacked a military hospital in Kabul
Electoral Process
● In September, the Taliban declared the formation of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan (IEA) and installed an unelected government (where there is no
woman participation).
● Mohammad Hasan Akhund, the head of the movement’s Rehbari Shura
(Leadership Council), was named prime minister.
● Haibatullah Akhundzada, the movement’s leader, was named the IEA’s supreme
leader.
● Talibans abolished electoral bodies in 2021
