Kabul Marks Five Years of Taliban Rule with Parades, Flags, and Patriotic Music

Thousands of Taliban supporters flooded central Kabul, waving white flags and chanting religious slogans to mark five years since the group returned to power and ended the Western-backed republic. Convoys of cars and pick-up trucks decorated with Taliban banners rolled through the streets toward a main gathering outside a ministry compound.

Heavily armed fighters stood guard as senior officials addressed the crowd, praising the "victory of the Islamic Emirate" and vowing to continue their governance vision. Taliban leaders used the anniversary to claim credit for restoring security and national sovereignty, pointing to the end of large-scale fighting after foreign troops withdrew and the previous government collapsed in August 2021. Officials also renewed calls for international recognition, arguing that engagement is necessary to stabilize the nation.

Despite these celebrations, Afghanistan’s economy remains deeply fragile. Billions of dollars in state reserves are frozen abroad, banking restrictions have strained businesses, and aid agencies report that millions of Afghans still depend on humanitarian assistance. Many Kabul residents who stayed away from the rallies noted that unemployment, rising prices, and shrinking freedoms overshadow any improved security.

Meanwhile, international organizations have highlighted severe ongoing challenges. UNESCO estimates that 2.4 million girls remain excluded from secondary education, and the World Food Programme warns that child malnutrition has reached critical levels in a third of the country's provinces.

Throughout Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Herat, celebrations featured patriotic music, supporters taking selfies, athletic parades near the Eidgah Mosque, and demonstrations by citizens holding flags, flowers, and even a bloodstained effigy of US President Donald Trump.