Following the collapse of the republican system and in the absence of a legitimate government, secret contracts with domestic and foreign companies, unchecked extraction, and the distribution of mining concessions among the group’s commanders have entrenched a new form of predatory economics. What is currently unfolding in northeastern Afghanistan, particularly in Takhar and Badakhshan, is not simply political and economic disorder or resource mismanagement. It is also a parallel, imposed order in which the country’s natural wealth is being systematically looted under the weight of force, mafia networks, and backroom deals. In this context, the concept of “extraction” has given way to “exploitation,” and mines that should underpin public welfare have instead become a lifeline for unaccountable power structures and a tool for consolidating political control.
Legal Status of the Contracts
In the absence of a legitimate and accountable government, any decision regarding natural resources is fundamentally invalid. Neither the Taliban, a group devoid of national and international legitimacy, nor any other entity operating outside the framework of the people’s collective will has the authority to transfer ownership of or enter into contracts over mines. All contracts concluded in this context, whether with foreign companies, regional investors, or domestic entities, are therefore void and unenforceable under both domestic law and the accepted principles of international law. In practice, such agreements amount to the unlawful seizure of public assets. These contracts are subject to annulment under any future legal order in Afghanistan and cannot form the basis for any claim of legitimacy or acquired rights.
One of the foundational principles of international law is “permanent sovereignty of nations over their natural resources,” which makes any exploitation of these resources conditional on the free and informed consent of the people. Without such consent, and in the absence of a genuinely representative national structure, any transfer of resources constitutes a violation of this fundamental principle. Companies and contracting parties cannot invoke existing conditions or cite the vacuum of legitimate governance to absolve themselves of responsibility. They will be held accountable for the economic, social, and environmental harm caused by their activities and may face compensation claims and legal prosecution in the future.
Within a forward-looking framework grounded in the rule of law, these contracts must be declared null and void. All parties involved in their conclusion and execution, domestic and foreign alike, must answer for the legal, economic, and environmental consequences. This is an essential prerequisite for restoring public trust and ensuring justice in the management of national resources.
Consequences of Unregulated Mining
Beyond legal invalidity, this process carries deep political and social consequences. Revenue generated from this extraction, rather than being directed toward development, education, health, or infrastructure, is funneled into strengthening the Taliban’s authoritarian apparatus and war economy. Under such conditions, natural resources become instruments for sustaining power. The people, particularly indigenous communities living in mining areas, face a stark and unequal predicament: on one hand, they are shut out from revenues and economic opportunities; on the other, they bear the heavy costs of environmental destruction and economic disorder.
These communities are the primary victims of an unjust exploitation model in which benefits are systematically siphoned from the local environment and concentrated in the hands of a select few. The destruction of agricultural land, the severe decline in soil fertility, the devastation of vegetation, the contamination of surface and groundwater sources, and the direct threat to public health are among the most visible consequences of this process.
This situation has inflicted serious environmental damage and weakened economic and social foundations. The loss of agricultural and livelihood capacity, the shrinking of local employment opportunities, and the absence of productive investment have fueled the spread of poverty, unemployment, and economic dependency. As a result, many residents have been forced to abandon their homes, and internal migration and displacement have surged, placing additional pressure on other regions and social structures.
The concentration of revenues within an opaque and restricted structure has deepened social divides and intensified the sense of injustice among citizens. The continuation of this situation perpetuates a vicious cycle in which natural resources, instead of driving development and stability, become sources of tension, inequality, and instability. Profits from unregulated extraction circulate within a closed, unaccountable loop, out of reach for the majority of society, while the costs fall broadly on the public, particularly the most vulnerable. The persistence of this process could carry irreparable consequences for Afghanistan’s economic, social, and political future.
The silence or muted responses of international institutions have only deepened this crisis. When there is clear evidence of environmental destruction, violations of the rights of indigenous peoples, and the use of natural resources to reinforce repressive structures, indifference amounts to complicity in a structural injustice. This situation must be explicitly recognized as the plundering of the wealth of indigenous peoples, not a routine economic process.
Conclusion
Unregulated and substandard extraction, conducted without environmental impact assessments, has caused soil erosion, destroyed vegetation, contaminated water resources, and degraded fragile ecosystems. This process threatens the lives of people today and jeopardizes the future of generations to come. Under these conditions, the concept of sustainable development has lost all meaning, replaced by accelerated and irreversible destruction.
The most critical issue, however, concerns the future. Any legitimate political order in Afghanistan will need to recognize this period as an era of widespread violation of public rights. All mining contracts concluded in the absence of legitimate authority must be annulled. All individuals and companies involved must face legal prosecution. Specific mechanisms must be established to compensate affected local populations and rehabilitate the environment.
If this process continues without accountability, natural resources will be lost, and injustice will harden into a permanent structure. “Mines under the boot of plunder” is not merely a title; it describes a reality in which the people’s wealth is being systematically stripped away under the pressure of force and in the absence of law. Ending this situation is a serious historical imperative for the survival, justice, and reconstruction of Afghanistan’s future.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
