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Since the capture of Kabul, the Taliban have sought to pass themselves off as more moderate, promising amnesty to their former rivals, urging women to join their government, promising stability in their country and trying to persuade the international community to see beyond a bloody past defined by violence and repression.
But many in Afghanistan and abroad are deeply skeptical of their overt transformation, reminiscent of the Taliban’s mode of governance in the late 1990s, when they imposed a harsh interpretation of Islam that deprived women of basic rights like education and encouraged punishments like flogging, amputation and executions.
As the Taliban prepare the outline of their new government, Mr. Baradar, one of the group’s founders, emerges as the leader of what the group calls the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Longtime lieutenant of the founding supreme leader of the Taliban, Mullah Muhammad Omar, Mr. Baradar has a large and loyal following among the Taliban base. He recently acted as chief negotiator in high-level peace talks in Qatar, where he chaired the agreement that paved the way for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Understanding the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan
Who are the Taliban? The Taliban emerged in 1994 amid the unrest following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989. They used brutal public punishments, including flogging, amputations and mass executions, to enforce their rules. Here’s more on their origin story and their record as leaders.
Mr Baradar started returning to Afghanistan this week from Qatar.
The new government will face enormous challenges, including a lack of legitimacy, as ordinary Afghans, members of the security and intelligence services, foreign governments and the international community may not accept it as the legitimate government of the country. Afghan people.
Basic services like electricity are under threat as many fearful state employees have not shown up for work for fear of retaliation from the Taliban. And a humanitarian crisis is intensifying, with two-thirds of the country suffering from malnutrition.
The situation will be exacerbated by the lack of funding. Washington froze Afghan government reserves held in US bank accounts and the International Monetary Fund prevented Afghanistan from accessing emergency reserves.
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