Afghanistan enters its fifth year under Taliban rule: What to know
The Taliban govern through decrees, but Afghans have aspirations and needs that cannot be fulfilled through edicts and ideology. Climate change, an increasing population, and severe cuts to foreign aid will test the Taliban's ability to lead and not just rule. Here are five things to know about the Taliban as they start their fifth year in power:
The supreme leader has cemented his legacy
Kandahar-based Hibatullah Akhundzada has led the Taliban from insurgency to authority since his appointment in 2016. But transition and status are peripheral to what he has wanted for the past 20 years: establishing an Islamic system.
Central to this vision was his ratification last year of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, which codifies many aspects of Afghan life, including who people can befriend.
In June, Akhundzada said the Taliban had fought and sacrificed themselves for the implementation of Islamic law. It was obligatory to follow the leadership's commands and directives, he added, and everyone was required to act within the bounds of this obedience.
His supporters emphasize his superior religious authority to issue decrees. The higher education minister went one step further in April, equating criticism of Akhundzada with blasphemy and saying obedience to him was a divine order.
'He (the leader) decides what moves and what doesn't move, what happens and what doesn't,' said Ibraheem Bahiss, a senior analyst with Crisis Group's Asia program.
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