The Taliban have been in power in Afghanistan for almost a year and a half. Former fighters are now bored with their desk jobs.
After the Taliban took power in August 2021, many ex-fighters are struggling to adjust to life in the Afghan capital, Kabul. This is the result of a study by the Afghanistan Analysts Network, quoted by the British newspaper “The Telegraph”. According to the study, many Taliban are bored with their desk jobs, annoyed by traffic and concerned about street crime.
“We had a high degree of freedom in deciding where to go, where to stay and whether to take part in the war,” recalls former Taliban commander Omar Mansur. “Nowadays you have to get to the office before 8 a.m. and stay there until 4 p.m.” Because of the high rents in the capital, the middle-level civil servant cannot afford to bring his wife and five children to Kabul.
Mansur, who grew up in a remote village about 150 kilometers south-west of Kabul, is particularly concerned about the traffic. “What I don’t like about Kabul is the ever-increasing traffic disruption,” said the 32-year-old. “Last year it was bearable, but in recent months the traffic has become more and more congested.”
“What I fear are the thieves”
The former fighter Abdul Nafi misses the war because of the boring everyday office life after the takeover. The 25-year-old fought for the Taliban for seven years. “Sometimes I miss life in jihad with all its good sides,” he said.
“There is very little for me to do in our ministry,” said Nafi. “That’s why I spend most of my time on Twitter. We have fast WiFi. Many mujahideen, myself included, are addicted to the internet, especially Twitter.” He is also worried about the high crime rate in Kabul. “What I don’t like about Kabul is the traffic and what I fear are the thieves,” he says.
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. Since then, the regime has come under international criticism for, among other things, the massive curtailment of women’s rights, a deterioration in the humanitarian situation and the repression of critics and the media.
