Since taking control of Afghanistan last August, the Taliban has ostensibly sought international recognition of its government in order to secure a relaxation of sanctions that would give it access to frozen funds and increased foreign aid. It would also allow it to enter into international treaties and organisations, thus gaining negotiating power in global dialogue.
In fact, according to the Taliban, its government is already eligible for international recognition. The Taliban’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has said, “In order to recognize a government, there is a need for a border, people, and security. Since we have all of these, we have fulfilled the requirements to be recognized.”
Yet, almost nine months into its reign, the group is yet to be recognised by a single world power.
Even China, the Taliban’s most powerful ally has clearly stated that it “will not be the first” to recognise it and will only do so in coordination with the other nations, such as Pakistan, Iran, and Russia. As of now, it remains unclear if any of them will make the first move.
Most importantly, however, despite its outward and stated objective of gaining legitimacy, the Taliban’s actions seem to suggest that it has no genuine interest in achieving this goal.
"A small but powerful act of defiance"
— Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) May 18, 2022
Our report inside one of Afghanistan's secret schools, with teenage girls still barred from attending lessons in most of the country by the Taliban
Meanwhile even conservative clerics are issuing decrees supporting girls' right to learn pic.twitter.com/65jgpNstYf
In an interview with TOLOnews, international relations export Wali Forouzan attributed this failure to the restrictions placed on women, youth, and media, and the total absence of a commitment to a free or fair election or even an inclusive and representative government.
In fact, in a joint statement released earlier this month, the G7 condemned the Taliban’s moves to “severely limit half the population’s ability to fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in society.”
Keeping this in mind, it is clear that the Taliban cannot plausibly be under any illusions about the preconditions for recognition. Therefore, the only logical deduction of its repeated and escalatory moves to put itself even further at odds with the international community is that it is not truly interested in gaining legitimacy. At the very least, it is clear that it is not willing to be flexible in its religious doctrine as it had earlier promised.
The decision by the Taliban to dissolve key institutions in #Afghanistan sends a worrying message when it comes to dialogue, human rights and national reconciliation. All very much needed and in demand after decades of conflict and war.
— Tomas Niklasson (@tomas_niklasson) May 18, 2022
Women
One month after coming into power, the Taliban dissolved the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replaced it with the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. This transformation was a precursor to a radical reformation and education of women’s rights and freedoms, particularly with regard to education, employment, travel, and dress code.
In fact, earlier this month, senior Taliban representative Anas Haqqani announced that an assembly of clerics will soon be held to resolve the problem related to girls’ education, referring to the recent ban on girls attending high school. Haqqani even went to the extent of saying that there would be “good news” that “will make everyone happy.”
However, despite the positive build-up, a few days later it issued a decree ordering all Afghan women to cover themselves from head to toe in public spaces. To add insult to injury, it advised women to stay at home because “the best way to observe hijab is to not go out unless it’s necessary.”
Sikh and Hindu community in Afghanistan is safer now than it has ever been during the last two decades, says Taliban Foreign ministry Spox @QaharBalkhi https://t.co/nFBilmrq8e
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 18, 2022
Moreover, it went on to say that women who are not very young or very old must cover their faces, except for their eyes, in public, especially “whenever they see or meet an unrelated man.” Failing to do so, a Taliban representative would visit the woman’s father or closest male relative and potentially imprison them or fire them from state jobs.
Media
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported in March that the Taliban government has put in place far-reaching censorship and instigated violence against the Afghan media, drastically limiting critical reporting.
Journalists have recounted various anecdotes of the Taliban “threatening, detaining, and beating them and their colleagues.” According to HRW, many journalists have felt “compelled to self-censor” and report only official Taliban statements and events. Unsurprisingly, female journalists have faced the most intense repression under the regime.
It has also ordered the closure of or severely targeted and restricted the operations of international broadcasters such as BBC, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, and CGTN.
Inamullah Samangani, a spokesperson of the Taliban administration, has said, “Since the foreign TV channels are broadcast from abroad, the Islamic Emirate has no access to control their contents.”
The Taliban have issued a decree today that officially dissolves Afghanistan’s Human Rights Commission, Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament and the Afghan Peace Council - marking the end of the Republic and 20 years of international efforts to build a democracy. A tragedy.
— Shabnam Nasimi (@NasimiShabnam) May 16, 2022
Free Election, Inclusive Government
In December, the Taliban dissolved the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC), calling it an “unnecessary institute for the current situation in Afghanistan.” The Commission had been established in 2006 to supervise polls conducted by Afghanistan’s previous government. However, the Taliban argued that the IEC, as well as the Electoral Complaint Commission, were “unnecessary institutes for the current situation in Afghanistan.” It also dissolved the Ministry of Peace and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs at the same time.
The previous head of the IEC, Aurangzeb, said the decision would have “huge consequences,” arguing that the Afghan crisis cannot be solved in the absence of elections. Similarly, Halim Fidai, a prominent leader in the previous government, said this is evidence that the Taliban “does not believe in democracy.” “They are against all democratic institutions. They get power through bullets and not ballots,” he asserted.
Terrorism Control
In August, the Taliban promised that it would not allow the country to become a safe haven for terrorism and threaten regional and global security. However, international observers remain concerned that the Taliban’s support for terrorist organisations, particularly al-Qaeda, poses a threat to international security.
It must be noted that this is not necessarily by design. For instance, Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) has become a resurgent force in the country and captured swathes of territory to become a significant challenger to the Taliban.
Joined my G7 colleagues in deploring the increasing restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban. Severely limiting half the population's ability to fully, equally and meaningfully participate in society will not advance peace, stability or development.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 13, 2022
Human Rights
In addition, the Taliban dissolved five key departments in Afghanistan’s government just last week, including the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), calling them “unnecessary” amid a financial crisis.
Speaking on its constant encroachment on freedoms, Norway’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Trine Heimerback, said that the “restrictions will also severely limit Afghanistan’s ability to respond to the catastrophic economic and humanitarian situation, which again may lead to violence and radicalisation.”
What does this all mean?
Despite failing to gain recognition, however, the spiralling humanitarian crisis has forced the international community to make certain concessions and even work with the Taliban on certain issues. For instance, the Taliban is barred from directly accessing over $10 billion in foreign reserves in its central bank. However, in February, United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order to allow the release of $7 billion of Afghanistan’s reserves that will be distributed by aid groups.
Similarly, in December, the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control issued licenses permitting American and international agencies to conduct “official business” with the Taliban, paving the way for humanitarian aid.
According to the UN, over 50 million Afghans are in dire need of aid, particularly food. Furthermore, merely 8% of the Afghan population is expected to receive even two-thirds of their food rations due to a lack of funding. This situation is likely to become even direr following the Taliban’s recent announcement of a $500 million budget deficit.
Thus, the Taliban may be holding out for further handouts and concessions as the situation worsens, wherein the regressive draconian changes it has made come to be accepted, particularly given that resistance, even by the US-trained National Resistance Forces in the Panjshir and Andarab valleys, appears to be falling flat. Through its withdrawal, the West has evidently shown that it is not willing to fight any more battles on Afghan soil.
In this respect, the Taliban may simply be biding its time until the international community realises that it has no choice but to negotiate with the group as it begins to irreversibly consolidate its power. In such a scenario, international recognition becomes irrelevant, as the Taliban would have already achieved its goal of unopposed governance and access to funds. Therefore, while the Taliban may not have any interest in gaining international legitimacy, perhaps the more significant point is that it might have no need to.