The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan has led to an increase in the Taliban in the country. Fighters from the Islamic group have taken control of 50 of Afghanistan’s 370 districts since May, UN Special Envoy Deborah Lyons said on Tuesday, warning that the escalating conflict poses a risk to many other countries.
At the United Nations Security Council, Lyon said that the announcement earlier this year of the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan has shaken the country. “These districts that have been taken are around the provincial capitals, which suggests that the Taliban are taking a position in an attempt to take these capitals once the foreign forces have completely withdrawn,” the special envoy said.
The United States invaded Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in search of Osama bin Laden. US-backed Afghan forces overthrew the government of the radical Taliban organization and promised to restore peace.
After 20 years, the United States began to withdraw the 2,500 troops still present in the country, a process expected to be completed by September 11. About 7,000 people from NATO (Western Military Alliance) countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Georgia, also plan to leave Afghanistan by that date.
“All the major indicators, like security, the peace process, the economy, the humanitarian emergency and of course the Covid-19, are negative or stagnant,” Lyons told the council. “The possible downfall in dire scenarios is undeniable.”
With the departure of the troops, the Afghans began to suffer the consequences. Since early May, when the withdrawal began, Taliban fighters have besieged military posts in the countryside, and some of them have fallen after large-scale surrenders.
Afghans face a new crisis, with 18,000 open cases of former employees, including translators, who hope the US government will keep its promise and reward them for risking their lives for the invader of their country. The problem came to a head with the withdrawal, because when it ends, these people will be at the mercy of the Taliban.
The departure of the troops is part of the peace agreement signed by the United States with the radical Islamic group. In return for the withdrawal of the United States and NATO countries, the Taliban pledged to stop carrying out attacks, not supporting terrorist groups and negotiating with the Afghan government.
The Taliban advocate a radical view of Islamic precepts. When in government, women could not study or work outside the home and had to wear the burqa when going out on the streets. It is feared that with the group’s return to politics, women will again be submissive.