Azadi Briefing

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an 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

Pakistani border guards and Afghan Taliban fighters exchanged fire on September 6, the latest flare-up along the disputed border. Both sides accused each other of starting the firefight.

In response, Islamabad has closed a key crossing, leaving hundreds of trucks and thousands of people on both sides of the border stranded.

On the same day as the border clashes erupted, the Pakistani military said four soldiers had been killed in clashes with militants in the northwestern Chitral district, which borders eastern Afghanistan.

The Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) extremist group, which is believed to be based in Afghanistan, said in a September 6 statement that a large number of its fighters had entered Chitral.

In response, Islamabad called on the Afghan Taliban to rein in the TTP, which has close organizational and ideological ties with the Afghan militant group.

Why It's Important: The border clashes have highlighted the deteriorating relations between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, longtime allies that have fallen out over the Afghan militant group’s alleged support to the TTP.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 has bolstered the TTP, which has intensified its attacks against Pakistani security forces. Peace talks held last year between Pakistan and the TTP, which were mediated by the Afghan Taliban, failed to end the violence.

The location of the TTP’s latest attack in Pakistan is also significant. Chitral, located in the remote north of Pakistan, has been a relatively stable area that has not witnessed major militant activity. The TTP’s attacks there suggest the militants could be trying to open a new front in their war against Islamabad.

What's Next: More border clashes and closures are expected as relations between Pakistan and the Taliban continue to deteriorate.

The Afghan Taliban is unlikely to crack down or expel the TTP. If the TTP continues its attacks inside Pakistan, Islamabad could resort to military action inside Afghanistan. Such a scenario would likely escalate tensions even further.

What To Keep An Eye On

The UN's World Food Program (WFP) said a “massive funding shortage” has forced it to cut emergency assistance to 2 million Afghans.

The WFP says it will only be able to provide food aid to 3 million people -- out of a population of around 40 million -- starting in October.

“Amid already worrying levels of hunger and malnutrition, we are obliged to choose between the hungry and the starving, leaving millions of families scrambling for their next meal," Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFP's country director and representative in Afghanistan, said in a statement on September 5.

The WFP is seeking an additional $1 billion over the next six months to provide 21 million Afghans with lifesaving aid. The UN body estimates that more than 3 million Afghans are on the brink of starvation.

Why It's Important: Cuts in emergency aid are likely to further worsen the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the worst in the world. It is also likely to add to fears of a widespread famine in the country.

In June, the UN revised its annual aid budget for Afghanistan from $4.6 billion to $3.2 billion this year, citing reduced funding from international donors.

The cash-strapped Taliban government, which is unrecognized and under international sanctions, appears unable to fill the gap.

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.

Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an 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

The Taliban said it has installed around 62,000 security cameras in the Afghan capital, Kabul, a city of some 5 million people.

The Taliban’s Interior Ministry said on August 30 that it planned to expand the surveillance network to the rest of the country in the next four years.

The ministry did not reveal how it obtained the cameras or if it has received assistance in installing and operating them.

Bloomberg reported that the Taliban is working with Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies to set up the security camera system. Representatives of Huawei and the Taliban met earlier this month in Kabul, Bloomberg reported. Huawei has denied that it is involved.

Why It's Important: The Taliban has said the surveillance system will help it improve security and combat crime.

Crime is rampant as the country grapples with an economic crisis. The Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) extremist group has also carried out sporadic attacks against the Taliban and religious minorities.

But observers fear the Taliban will also use its network of security cameras to stifle dissent and enforce its repressive policies, including restrictions on Afghans’ appearances, freedom of movement, right to work or study, and access to entertainment and uncensored information.

“Implementing such a vast architecture of mass surveillance under the guise of ‘national security’ sets a template for the Taliban to continue its draconian policies that violate fundamental rights of people in Afghanistan -- especially women in public spaces,” said Matt Mahmoudi, Amnesty International’s Researcher and Advisor on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights.

What's Next: The Taliban’s move is likely to further anger Afghans, who have seen many of their basic rights eroded since the militant takeover in 2021.

The Taliban’s creation of a vast surveillance system suggests it will rely on heavy policing and repression to maintain its grip in Afghanistan.

The Week's Best Stories

'Illogical And Inhumane': Taliban's Ban On Women Entering National Park Sparks Widespread Anger

The Taliban has banned women from visiting one of Afghanistan's most popular national parks, in the latest attempt to shut out women from public life. The ban has prompted widespread anger, with one Afghan woman telling RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that it was "illogical and inhumane."

Detention, Torture, Murder: Life Under The Taliban For LGBT People

LGBT activists say the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan has resulted in discrimination, torture, and even murder. One gay man told RFE/RL that he had to quit school to protect his identity while another said he and his boyfriend were tortured by the Taliban and had to vow to renounce same-sex relationships.

What To Keep An Eye On

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stopped funding 25 hospitals in Afghanistan on August 31.

Due to a lack of resources, the ICRC said it was handing over responsibility for the facilities -- which provided services to around 9 million Afghans -- to the Taliban’s Public Health Ministry.

Since the Taliban takeover, the ICRC has supported 33 hospitals across Afghanistan. In April, it handed over eight hospitals to the Taliban.

Why It's Important: When the Taliban seized power, international donors cut off assistance to Afghanistan.

But aid groups funded by Western donors continued their operations in the fields of health, education, and food assistance. Their operations, however, have been hindered by dwindling donor funding as well as the Taliban’s alleged interference in foreign aid and the militants’ ban on Afghan women working for NGOs.

Declining international funding is likely to aggravate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, where millions are on the brink of starvation.

The cash-strapped Taliban government, which is unrecognized and under international sanctions, appears unable to fill the void.

“The backbone of the health sector will depend on an Afghan treasury still hobbled by sanctions, asset freezes, and the cut-off of development aid,” tweeted Graeme Smith, a senior consultant for the International Crisis Group.

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.