Azadi Briefing

Welcome back to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Mustafa Sarwar, a senior news editor at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Key Taliban officials have recently appeared to criticize the militant group's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, whose repressive policies have alienated Afghans and isolated the Taliban's unrecognized government internationally.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's powerful interior minister, gave a speech on February 11 in which he appeared to accuse Akhundzada of "monopolizing power" and "hurting the reputation" of the militant group.

Another influential Taliban official, Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, said in a February 15 speech in Kabul that the militant group "should never be arrogant" and must "always respond to the legitimate demands of the nation."

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on February 16 that "all members share the same thoughts, beliefs, and ideology," adding that Haqqani and Yaqoob were merely making suggestions.

Why It's Important: Haqqani and Yaqoob's public comments appear to have lifted the lid on the widening rifts within the Taliban, which has come under national and international condemnation for its severe restrictions on women's rights and human rights abuses.

As the Taliban has attempted to transform from an insurgency into a functional government after seizing power in 2021, there have been mounting reports of infighting.

Akhundzada, who rarely travels outside his stronghold in the southern province of Kandahar, has consolidated power and empowered ultraconservative clerics who share his extremist views.

What's Next: It is unclear yet if growing internal and foreign criticism will force Akhundzada to moderate his policies.

Experts do not expect internal differences to lead to an open revolt. But the infighting suggests that a growing number of Taliban officials believe change is necessary.

The Week's Best Stories

• A devastating humanitarian and economic crisis has forced some Afghans to turn to the booming methamphetamine industry to eke out a living and stave off starvation. Thousands of people are believed to be earning money by collecting ephedra, a wild herb that is used to make crystal meth. "For now, it is our only source of income," harvester Ahmad Wali told Radio Azadi. "We collect it from the mountains and sell it in the city."
• After 30 years in business, Gul Rahman says he may have to close his Kabul butcher's shop. The economic collapse since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan has seen demand for meat plummet. "I can say many people can't afford to buy meat once a month," Rahman told Radio Azadi in this video. "People have a lot of troubles. If it goes on like this, I guess I will leave this occupation because there's no business."

What To Keep An Eye On

Taliban fighters stormed the offices of the private Tamadon TV station in Kabul on February 14, a witness told Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity.

The armed men, who identified themselves as Taliban Interior Ministry personnel, seized three vehicles belonging to the TV station. It was unclear if any staff members were detained.

A spokesman for the Taliban later said that "our forces entered the television [station] by mistake." The Afghanistan Journalists Center, a local watchdog, accused the Taliban of "intimidation."

Broadcasting mainly religious content, Tamadon TV was established by Ayatollah Mohammad Asif Mohseni, a prominent Afghan Shi'ite cleric who died in 2019.

Why It's Important: In the past, Afghanistan's Sunni Taliban rulers have suppressed the country's Shi'ite Hazara minority.

Since regaining power, the Taliban has tried to assuage Hazara fears of discrimination and persecution. But rights groups have documented the extrajudicial killings and forced evictions of Hazara by the Taliban in parts of the country.

The raid on Tamadon TV is also the latest attempt by the Taliban to suppress media freedom in Afghanistan. The militants have waged a brutal crackdown on dissent that has targeted journalists, human rights defenders, and intellectuals.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center said it recorded 260 cases of press-freedom violations in 2022, including "detentions, threats, assaults, and restrictions on media outlets, journalists, and in particular women journalists."

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Mustafa Sarwar

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, a new RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.

I'm Abubakar Siddique, a senior correspondent at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has witnessed a diplomatic exodus in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Kabul and evacuated its staff on February 2. The Taliban claimed the departure was temporary. But sources told Reuters that the Saudi mission had relocated to neighboring Pakistan due to security reasons.

Reports have also surfaced about the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) closing its mission in the Afghan capital.

Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., historical allies of the Taliban, were among only a handful of countries that kept their embassies open after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. The others included Iran, China, Russia, India, and Turkey.

The recent departure of foreign diplomats and embassy staff from Afghanistan appears to be in response to heightened fears over possible attacks by Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), a rival of the Taliban. The extremist group has targeted the Russian and Pakistani embassies in Kabul in recent months and threatened other missions.

Why It's Important: The exodus is likely to further isolate the Taliban's unrecognized government, which has been hit by international sanctions.

By attacking or threatening foreign missions in Afghanistan, IS-K militants appear to be trying to undermine the Taliban's ties with its key foreign backers and scuttle efforts by the Kabul authorities to attract international trade and investment.

Following IS-K's attack on a Chinese-owned hotel in Kabul in December, Beijing advised its citizens to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.

What's Next: More countries could close their embassies or cut their staff in Afghanistan due to security threats. That also applies to the United Nations and foreign NGOs who have staff in the country.

More departures would be a blow not only to the Taliban's attempts to gain international recognition, but international efforts to ease the devastating humanitarian crisis that has gripped Afghanistan.

The Week's Best Stories

• Afghan university professor Ismail Mashal made headlines in December when he ripped up his degrees on live TV to protest the Taliban's ban on female education. He followed that up by walking around Kabul and donating books to girls and women. On February 2, Mashal's challenge to the Taliban authorities landed him in prison after he was arrested.
• Mahbouba Seraj, an Afghan women's rights activist, has been shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize. Even as many activists fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, Siraj remained in Kabul to operate a network of women's shelters. Seraj told Radio Azadi that winning the prize would be a "great honor for me and for Afghanistan."

What To Keep An Eye On

The Taliban said on February 8 that at least 100 Afghan nationals had been killed or injured in the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Members of the Afghan community in Turkey have said the death toll is likely much higher. More than 70,000 Afghans are estimated to live in areas in southern Turkey affected by the earthquakes.

In total, more than 22,000 people have died in the February 6 earthquakes.

Why It's Important: Turkey is home to about 3.8 million refugees, including more than 300,000 Afghans. Some of them fled to Turkey following the Taliban takeover.

Ankara has not afforded many Afghans asylum or refugee status. Instead, they have been placed under a "temporary protection regime" that puts them in a position to be resettled to a third country or be deported.

That status could complicate or prevent Afghans affected by the earthquake in Turkey from accessing life-saving humanitarian aid.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,

Abubakar Siddique

If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.