Taliban declare anniversary of takeover as holiday

The Taliban declared a holiday to mark the anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan. August 15 marks the “first anniversary of the victory of the Afghan jihad led by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan over the American occupation and its allies,” the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs wrote on Sunday in a note announcing the holiday.

The Taliban met little resistance from Afghan forces last year as they gradually took control of the country and eventually captured the capital, Kabul. The Bundeswehr left Afghanistan in June 2021 faster than originally planned. In doing so, she followed US time specifications. After the Taliban took over Kabul, an international military evacuation operation took place, in which Germany also participated. Dramatic scenes took place at the capital’s airport when many people wanted to leave the country.

Since returning to power, the Taliban has quelled any dissent. Arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions of former Afghan officials and attacks by the Islamic State terrorist militia against religious minorities have increased. The economic difficulty is also greater than before. Almost half of the population is threatened by hunger.