The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said on Saturday, August 15, on the fifth anniversary of the fall of the republican system and the Taliban’s takeover of the country, that Afghanistan is in a “deep political deadlock” and that the group has failed to resolve the issue of political legitimacy and governance.
In a statement, the AFF said that the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan has subjected the achievements of the past two decades in the areas of freedom, democracy, citizens’ fundamental rights, and equal participation of women and men in society to a “historic setback.”
The AFF added that by eliminating political and social forces, restricting civil liberties, and having no elections or institutions representing the people, the Taliban have transformed Afghanistan from a system based on citizen participation into the “exclusive rule of an armed group.”
The statement said that territorial control does not constitute political legitimacy, and that people’s silence resulting from repression and restrictions should not be interpreted as their consent to the Taliban regime.
The AFF also pointed to Afghanistan’s economic situation, saying that over the past five years, poverty, unemployment, declining economic opportunities, the migration of skilled workers, and the dependence of millions of citizens on humanitarian assistance have remained among the major problems facing the people of the country.
The AFF stressed that military struggle alone is not a solution to Afghanistan’s crisis and that the front’s objective is not to continue the war indefinitely.
