Ethno-Political Structure of Taliban-led Afghanistan

With the seizure of power by the Taliban on August 15, 2021 a new page in the political history of Afghanistan had been opened. The Taliban, which for 20 years led a guerrilla war against the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and their Western patrons, had to come out of hiding and start operating openly within the framework of a new state system. On September 7, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the formation of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. A year after these events, it seems important to trace the process of building government by the Taliban, characterize the current political system of Afghanistan and analyze the basic principles for the inclusion of certain groups in the state system. In the history of Afghanistan, the aspect of ethnicity has always been a key point that has determined one’s position in political and social system of the country. As a result of studies, the author concludes that the Taliban during its first year in power created a Pashtun-centric state, where the struggle between the main Pashtun tribal associations in relation to the foreign policy guidelines of each of them plays a decisive role in the configuration of domestic political forces. At the same time, despite the entry into the public field of the main Taliban functionaries who have taken positions in the leadership of various departments in Kabul, traditional for the Taliban hidden form of top management is preserved

Business · Citizen journalism · Democracy · Geography · Islam · Political economy · Political science · Political system · Politics · Sociology · Global Political and Economic Relations · Law · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Security, Politics, and Digital Transformation