Archive · 16 Aug 2026
Taliban Marks 5 Years in Power Amid Rights Groups Alarm
Five years ago, a group called the Taliban took control of a country called Afghanistan.
On Saturday, they held a big parade in the capital city, Kabul, to celebrate being in charge for five years.
Soldiers drove armoured vehicles and waved flags near the old American embassy.
The Taliban's interior minister said their win came from courage and help from God, but he also admitted that some problems still exist.
Right now, many girls in Afghanistan are not allowed to go to school, and many women cannot leave their homes very often.
Groups that help people say the country faces big problems, like not enough food and money.
Almost no other countries accept the Taliban as Afghanistan's official leaders, and only Russia has formally recognized them.
The Taliban are trying to make friends with other countries and make business deals.
However, aid groups say more people than ever need help in Afghanistan.
Many people hope the country can become peaceful and safe for everyone.
The Taliban marked five years in power on Saturday with a 'victory day' parade, including armoured vehicles, outside the former US embassy in Kabul.
Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani credited the return to power to 'morale, courage' and 'divine assistance' but acknowledged 'issues and problems that may still exist.'
UNESCO says 2.5 million Afghan girls remain barred from secondary schools and universities, and UN Women reports half of Afghan women leave home only once or twice a month.
The Taliban government remains internationally unrecognized, with Russia the only country to have formally recognized it.
The International Rescue Committee warns humanitarian needs have reached a record level, with 3.5 million more Afghans in need since 2021 as aid budgets shrank.
- Who
- The Taliban government, led by Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, with deputy foreign ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal, along with UN agencies and aid groups.
- What
- Marked five years in power with a 'victory day' parade in Kabul while rights groups warned of escalating crises.
- When
- Saturday, five years after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
- Where
- Kabul, Afghanistan, with additional ceremonies expected in Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey and Malaysia.
- Why
- To celebrate what the government described as 'victory day' from Western domination and to portray the government as in control.
Taliban Government
Rights Groups and UN Agencies
Women's rights
Taliban Government
The Taliban say they respect women's rights in accordance with Islamic sharia law.
Rights Groups and UN Agencies
Rights groups and UN agencies say sweeping restrictions bar 2.5 million girls from education and severely limit women's freedom of movement.
Government record
Taliban Government
The Taliban portray themselves as in control and celebrate 'victory day' from Western domination.
Rights Groups and UN Agencies
Aid groups warn of record humanitarian needs driven by drought, earthquakes and deportations, saying the Taliban have struggled to address Afghanistan's crises.
International engagement
Taliban Government
The Taliban are making quiet diplomatic inroads, seeking deportation arrangements with European nations and striking economic deals.
Rights Groups and UN Agencies
Analysts say countries weigh the limits of their influence in Afghanistan, while the government remains almost entirely internationally unrecognized.
- Event
- Taliban's fifth anniversary in power ('victory day')
- Interior Minister
- Sirajuddin Haqqani
- Girls barred from school (UNESCO)
- 2.5 million
- Afghan women leaving home 1-2 times/month (UN Women)
- Half
- Only formal recognition
- Russia
- Rise in Afghans needing aid since 2021 (IRC)
- 3.5 million
- Ceremony countries
- Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey, Malaysia
- Islamic State attack
- Killed Taliban information director in Badakhshan in late July
