The Taliban: A new face or buying time to consolidate?

The Taliban have made announcements that vary from their earlier viewpoints on women, education and government officials

The political landscape of Afghanistan changed swiftly in the first two weeks of August, something which the world had not expected. The secret of the Taliban's easy victory over Kabul is not just their military strength and strategy. The members of the Taliban used social media along with armed offensives on the easy-to-capture districts. Social media became an effective weapon for propaganda - to spread rumours to widen the trust deficit among the political and military leaders involved in corruption.

The Taliban creatively used photographs to secure the psychological upper hand and dent the morale of the government forces. These included pictures of soldiers surrendering before them and their bike squads' triumphant entry into cities or rural communities coming out in support. The Afghan forces could not refute the Taliban propaganda on the social media battlefield.

The killings of several media personnel in Kabul and other provinces, including the Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) head, Dawa Khan Menapal, Editor-in-Chief of Paktia Ghag radio station, Toofan Omari, and TV journalist Mina Khairi helped the Taliban's propaganda offensive.

Read | Taliban pledge to be 'different' as Afghans flee

The killings spread fear in the media, and stories of killings and torture on the ground could not appear in the news. However, in contrast to its earlier regime of 1996-2001, the Taliban has not disrupted internet and phone lines this time. They have given interviews, sent text messages, and made videos to win the sanction of a wider community. After capturing Kabul, they have allowed foreign troops and officials to evacuate safely, but not the Afghans.

The Taliban has captured all the international borders and controls supply lines. They have made several announcements, which vary from their earlier viewpoint on women, education and government officials. Is this the new face of the Taliban, or are they just buying time to settle in Kabul?

A majority of the citizens have appealed to the world to help them end the violence. Cricketer Rashid Khan has urged world leaders to protect the people of Afghanistan. A social media campaign on Afghan Lives Matter has been launched. A father of three girls said earlier, "I have three daughters. They are all in school, but their future looks wicked here. Even if we are fortunate to persist, my daughters may not be permitted to attend school. I should have an alternative plan to go somewhere else." Such parents are at the mercy of the Taliban now. The parental concern indicates the growing anxiety and uncertainty despite the assurance given by the Taliban not to harm anyone. The horrific picture of people running on the runway while a plane takes off tells the story of desperation and fear.

Read | Taliban destroy statue of Afghan civil war foe, stoking fear over their rule

In July, the Taliban killed a comedian from Kandhar, Nazar Mohammad. The Taliban fighters have taken hostage Editor-in-Chief of the Boost radio station in Khost, Niamatullah Hemat. Women TV anchors have been asked not to work. The question facing professionals, such as actors, musicians, singers, sportswomen, and filmmakers, is where they would go? Currently, they don't have an option other than to hide and disappear. The Taliban had not allowed music, TV, and films in their earlier regime of 1996 to 2001.

The Taliban have said they would give amnesty to government employees and others who had resisted them. Even after this, the majority of the people working with the Ashraf Ghani regime would be afraid to turn up in the offices. Several embassies and foreign-funded offices of Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, and other cities are closed until further notice international staff has left the country. Flights have suspended their operations.

Each airport and the border is now under the Taliban control. In such a situation, where would these Afghani citizens go who have a difference of opinion with the Taliban? Countries may wait and watch the Taliban before taking their next step, but what options do the locals have?

Children and women are at risk of largescale human trafficking. Recently, Turkish authorities caught a boat carrying more than 200 Afghan migrants. Iran has closed its border with Afghanistan in the Nimroz province and the crossing point in the Milak district of Sistan and Baluchistan province. Turkey is constructing a 295 km long wall at the border with Iran to stop refugee influx from Afghanistan.

Internally displaced women, children, and old age people are spending nights in the open parks of Kabul. Young children and women have no food, water, medical, and sanitation facilities and are dependent on the locals. Now residents are also in the same situation with meagre resources.

The Afghan people need humanitarian assistance as they wait for world leaders to respond to this emergency. Women and children should not feel hopeless. Why are they paying the price of a war brought in by others?

(The writer is a development professional who has worked in Afghanistan)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.