TALIBAN AND THE CHALLENGE OF INTERNAL SECURITY

Abstract

This article is an attempt to understand the internal security situation in Afghanistan and how that poses a challenge to the new government of Taliban after 2021. The Taliban came to power in very chaotic situations, as the country was facing political instability and revolutionary changes in political system and those who govern the country. As the country has been in the grip of different factions and groups, often or always violent, since the last five decades, the Taliban are also facing opposing groups who want to occupy the government. These groups might have differences of ideology or political goals but in current situation they are posing an equal threat to the Taliban. The present study is thus an attempt to understand the situation in Afghanistan as a ground for these violent and opposing groups fighting against the new government of the Taliban since 2021. The study relies on the reports of violence or violent acts of the groups such as ISIL-K and Afghanistan National Front among others, against the group after 2021. The study assesses the scale of the violence and how that poses a threat to the internal security and peace in Afghanistan under the Taliban. The study cross checks the violence with the response of the Taliban and its effectiveness in the last three years. The study however reveals that the Taliban government is facing a two-front challenge to the internal security both ideological and nationalist. However, the government is successful in reducing the scale of violence and activities of opposing groups.