Taliban rule|The situation in Afghanistan

Celebrations Across Afghanistan: 'A Black Day'

Parades have been organized in several cities in Afghanistan on the anniversary of the Taliban's seizure of power in the country, the New York Times reports. Outside the former US embassy in Kabul, children gathered and waved white Taliban flags.

"Long live jihad!", shouted the children.

But far from everyone took part in the celebration.

- It is a black day for Afghans. I felt like a migrant today, like I wasn't in my country, 25-year-old doctor Esmatullah told the newspaper.

For some residents, the three-year celebration is above all about the end of a two-decade-long war.

- The war is gone, the death is gone, says 23-year-old Barakatullah Azizi, whose three brothers fought on the side of the Taliban.

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Afghanistan has worse press freedom than North Korea

The situation for press freedom is now worse in Afghanistan than in North Korea, according to the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. Only in Eritrea and Syria is the situation for free speech considered worse.

According to an anonymous Afghan journalist that Ekot spoke to, all journalism in the country must be approved by the Taliban, which makes it almost impossible to report on the suffering of the population or criticize the regime.

- Since the Taliban took over, there has almost been a massacre of free journalism in Afghanistan, says Erik Larsson, chairman of Reporters Without Borders in Sweden, to Ekot.

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The Taliban in an international freezer even after three years

The Taliban have made little diplomatic progress in the three years since the armed Islamist movement seized power in Afghanistan, reports Deutsche Welle.

The group has indeed managed to establish diplomatic ties with several countries in the immediate area, including Russia, China, Pakistan, India and countries in Central Asia. But no country has formally recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid doesn't pretend about it:

- We have very good relations with all the countries of the world, he says.

The expert Mustafa Mudassir says that the Taliban also lack legitimacy in their own country. Many are poor and women have been deprived of a wide range of rights. Activists, ethnic groups and former military personnel are also hurt by the group's policies.