Afghanistan marks fifth anniversary of Taliban rule (photos)

Afghanistan marked the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's rise to power. Reuters reported that Taliban armored vehicles with flags and banners drove past the former U.S. embassy in Kabul on August 15 as part of a military parade.

Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani called their return to power the result of "spiritual fortitude, courage" and "divine help," but acknowledged that "issues and challenges may still exist."

International organizations and the United Nations say the Taliban are struggling to address the natural and humanitarian crises Afghanistan has faced over the past five years, as Afghan women remain under severe restrictions.

The Taliban have also faced a series of assassinations in recent weeks targeting key regional officials in the country's northeast. In late July, the Taliban's information director in Badakhshan province was killed, an attack claimed by ISIS. On August 13, the mayor of the provincial capital was also killed in an attack.

**Diplomatic achievements**

When the Taliban returned to power in 2021 amid the withdrawal of the United States and its allies, they promised to rule more freely than they had in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That era was marked by mass executions, the sheltering of Osama bin Laden, and the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan. But human rights groups say those promises have quickly been shattered.

The Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions on women and girls since 2021, with 2.5 million of them denied access to education, according to UNESCO. According to UN Women, half of Afghan women now leave their homes only once or twice a month.

No country, except Russia, has recognized the Taliban's rule in the five-year rule. Many former embassies in Kabul have been vacant since the change of power.

But analysts say the Taliban are slowly reestablishing diplomatic ties. They are trying to reach an agreement with European countries that are seeking ways to deport Afghans. The government in Kabul is also using its geographic location at the crossroads of South and Central Asia and the Middle East to forge economic deals.

Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Taliban's foreign ministry, told Reuters that ceremonies marking the government's fifth anniversary were also expected to be held in the capitals of Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey and Malaysia.