On Tuesday, the Afghan Taliban celebrated the second anniversary since their return to power. They celebrated their takeover in Kabul and their claim that they had established security across the country with an Islamic system.

After a lightning attack, while U.S. led foreign forces withdrew after 20 years inconclusive warfare, the Taliban invaded the capital of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. The Afghan security forces that had been set up years ago with Western support disintegrated, and the U.S. supported President Ashraf Ghani fled.

In a press release, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that “on the second anniversary the conquest Kabul we would like congratulate and thank the holy warrior nation of Afghanistan for this great victorie”.

Afghanistan enjoys a peace it has not experienced in many decades, but the U.N. reports that there have been dozens attacks on civilians. Some of these were claimed by Islamic State rivals to the Taliban.

Since the return of Taliban, many women who had enjoyed rights and freedoms that were extensive during the 20 years of Western-backed rule have found themselves in a dire situation.

It’s been 2 years since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Amina Mohamed, U.N. deputy secretary general, stated that the past two years have changed the lives and rights of Afghan women and young girls.

The capital was under tight security on Tuesday as it was declared a public holiday. Taliban fighters and supporters, as well as some Kabul residents, gathered in the streets. Vehicles drove slowly through informal parades with soldiers and children holding black and white flags.

“I came here today to witness the celebration of the second anniversary since the Taliban.” “I came to celebrate the day the enemy of Afghanistan left our country,” said Sayed Hashmatullah Saat, a resident.

A number of departments, such as the Education Ministry, held celebrations.

Mujahid, a spokesman for the government, stated that “now that the overall security of the country has been ensured, the entire country is managed by a single leader, and an Islamic system has been implemented. Everything is explained in terms of sharia.”

Maryam, 27, who ran a tailoring shop in Kabul after being fired from her job as a teacher and then an international project, expressed that she was dreading the anniversary.

She said, “The day… reminds of two years back and I feel the same way I did two years ago. It was a terrible feeling.”

OBSTACLE TO RECOGNITION

Since the Taliban retook power, girls over 12 years old have been largely excluded from school. The ban on girls over 12 years old is a major obstacle for many Western governments in their attempts to recognize the Taliban government.

The Taliban have closed down beauty salons and barred women from entering parks. They also restrict travel for women without a male guardian.

The suppression of journalism, which grew during the 20 years that Western-backed governments ruled, is significant.

Human rights groups have expressed alarm over the detention of journalists and civil society activists including Matiullah Wasa, a prominent education activist.

The Taliban has not elaborated on these issues, but their law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies are investigating activities they consider suspect to find explanations.

According to the U.N. Special Representative, on the plus side, corruption has decreased. It was a major problem for many years following the Taliban’s ouster in 2001.

The Taliban’s ban on the cultivation of narcotics has also led to a dramatic reduction in poppy production, which was for many years the largest source of opium in the world.

The Taliban hopes that the progress they have made will lead to foreign recognition, the lifting of the sanctions and the release of $7 billion of central bank assets, which were frozen at the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in 2021. Half of this money was then transferred to a Swiss Trust.

The U.N. estimates that more than two thirds of the world’s population needs humanitarian aid in order to survive.

Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar, in Kabul; Charlotte Greenfield, in Islamabad. Additional reporting by Reuters TV Editing Robert Birsel & Nick Macfie