Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers celebrated three years in power on Wednesday and held a military parade that paid tribute to their home-made bombs, fighter jets and security forces used in the war.
Taliban forces drove Soviet-era tanks and artillery to the former US airbase at Bagram, where hundreds of people, including Chinese and Iranian diplomats, gathered for a parade and speeches.
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The former Bagram base played a key role in US-led operations against the Taliban for two decades.
A flotilla of motorcycles strapped with yellow jerry cans, which are often used to carry homemade bombs during fighting against international forces, also passed the gathered officers.
US-made armoured vehicles were parked there, and above them fluttered the black and white flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the Taliban government’s formal name for the country).
Helicopters and fighter jets were flying over the base, about 40 kilometers north of Kabul, where Taliban fighters were once imprisoned.
Taliban forces seized the capital on August 15, 2021, after the US-backed government collapsed and its leaders fled into exile. The anniversary is celebrated a day earlier on the Afghan calendar.
Their government is not recognised by any other state, and restrictions on women, who bear the brunt of policies that the United Nations has called “gender apartheid”, remain a major issue.
“It’s been three years since girls’ dreams were buried,” said Madina, a 20-year-old former university student from Kabul.
“It is a bittersweet feeling that every year the celebration of this day reminds us of the efforts, memories and goals we have made for our future.”
Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who was to be present at Bagram, praised the victory of Taliban authorities over “Western occupiers” in a statement read out by his chief of staff.
He said the Taliban government has a responsibility “to maintain Islamic rule, protect property, lives of the people and the honor of our nation.”
‘Victory’
Security has been a priority for Taliban authorities as they have consolidated their power over the past three years, imposing laws based on their strict interpretation of Islam.
However, attacks by the Islamic State group still remain a threat and extra security has been deployed in Kabul and Kandahar, the Taliban’s spiritual heartland, ahead of “Victory Day”.
A convoy of military vehicles and weapons also paraded near the southern city.
Helicopters were flying over Kabul’s Ghazi Stadium, where hundreds of people had gathered to watch speeches, an exhibition of athletics and a performance of the Taliban’s national anthem.
Rugby player Samiullah Akmal praised the day’s organisation, saying it was “better than other years”.
“As a young person, I see that Afghanistan has a bright future… We are free and the people around us are our own.”
Border and Tribal Affairs Minister Noorullah Noori told AFP the stadium was packed with people from surrounding provinces, adding there was a feeling of “unity”.
“Whether people are members of the Islamic Emirate or not… they should be grateful for this blessing from God, they should stand behind the Islamic Emirate.”
The streets of Kabul were seen decorated in black and white and trucks filled with smiling people.
In the Green Zone, once a secure area for foreign embassies, happy young boys walked around carrying a huge flag that read “We are ready to launch a suicide attack!”
– ‘The worst time of our lives’ –
While many Afghans have expressed relief at the end of 40 years of continuous conflict, the economy remains stagnant and the population is trapped in a worsening humanitarian crisis.
“The last three years have been the worst years of our lives,” said Jalmai, 26, who works for a nonprofit and gave only his last name.
“I don’t know what security the Taliban are talking about, people are hungry, young people don’t have jobs…both girls and boys are facing an uncertain future,” she said.
A joint statement by international non-governmental groups warned about a growing shortfall in aid funding, with 23.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
Women have been excluded from public life – barred from many jobs as well as from accessing parks and gyms – and denied secondary and higher education.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reiterated its call to pressure the Taliban government to lift restrictions on women.
“The third anniversary of the Taliban takeover is a grim reminder of Afghanistan’s human rights crisis, but it should also be a call to action,” said Fereshta Abbasi, HRW’s Afghanistan researcher.
BR-SW/SN