This archive report was first published on 31 August 2021.
On August 31, 2021, the Taliban celebrated their return to power in Afghanistan with gunfire and diplomacy, marking the end of two decades of war.
The United States' longest military conflict drew to a close when its forces abandoned Kabul airport, where they had overseen a frenzied airlift that saw more than 123,000 people flee.
Taliban fighters then swept into the airport and fired weapons into the sky across the city in jubilation, an astonishing comeback after US forces invaded in 2001, weeks after the September 11 attacks, and toppled them for supporting Al-Qaeda.
“Congratulations to Afghanistan… this victory belongs to us all,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the airport runway.
However, many Afghans are terrified of a repeat of the Taliban's initial rule from 1996-2001, which was infamous for their treatment of women and girls, as well as a brutal justice system.
The group has repeatedly promised a more tolerant brand of governance compared with their first stint in power, and Mujahid persisted with that theme.
“We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all,” he said.
But the Taliban face a daunting challenge to transform from an insurgent group into a governing power, in a war-ravaged nation dependent on foreign aid.
The United Nations on Tuesday again warned of a looming “humanitarian catastrophe,” with food stocks running low because of disruptions caused by conflict as well as a severe drought.
