Security challenges in Taliban Afghanistan
With the Taliban coming to power, the security situation in Afghanistan has faced many challenges. While the Taliban claim to have improved security, security issues remain complicated due to various factors. Some of the main security challenges of Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban are as follows:
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The presence of terrorist groups
• Despite the Taliban’s claim of eliminating terrorist threats, the presence of terrorist groups such as ISIS in Khorasan is still considered a major threat. ISIS Khorasan has increased its activities in various regions of Afghanistan, especially in Kabul and the eastern regions of the country, and has carried out bloody attacks against religious minorities, Taliban forces and civilians.
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Internal conflicts and local riots
• Internal differences between Taliban members and also between local Taliban commanders have caused internal conflicts in some areas. Some Taliban groups do not follow the central policies and this issue has caused tension and local conflicts.
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Border insecurity
• Afghanistan has long borders with neighboring countries, and with the lack of effective border control, drug, arms and illegal crossings are rampant. This issue has created security concerns for neighboring countries as well as Afghanistan itself.
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Reducing public trust in the Taliban
• Many Afghan people do not trust the Taliban for political and religious reasons, and this lack of trust has caused some areas of the country to face public dissatisfaction and even popular resistance. This situation has exacerbated security concerns, as the Taliban may resort to force to control opposing areas.
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Violation of human rights and suppression of opponents
• The Taliban have taken severe measures to suppress political opponents, journalists and human rights activists. This issue has led to the creation of an unsafe environment for people and opposition groups and has increased psychological and social insecurity in the country.
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Economic issues and extreme poverty
• The economic crisis, unemployment and widespread poverty, which intensified after the Taliban came to power, have caused an increase in crime in the country. Many people turn to illegal activities and sometimes even cooperate with armed groups to secure their livelihood.
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Lack of resources and security infrastructure
• Taliban have many limitations in terms of resources and security technologies. The lack of advanced monitoring systems and the lack of financial and human resources have made it difficult for them to effectively control security.
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Illegal immigration and refugee crisis
• Political and security unrest has caused massive migration of Afghans to neighboring countries and other parts of the world. These migrations have led to a humanitarian crisis and security problems in neighboring countries and increased international pressure on the Taliban.
In sum, although the Taliban have some areas under their direct control, many security challenges still remain and show that achieving sustainable security requires extensive changes and reforms that the Taliban have not yet been able to fully implement.