As the United States is poised to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has been steadily gaining territories in the country. Kabul is the latest city to fall into the Islamic regime’s hands. Early Sunday, the nation’s embattled president fled the country, signaling the government’s collapse.
Ashraf Ghani posted on Facebook that he left to avoid conflict but did not say where he was located.
“The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, said of the president’s exit. “God should hold him accountable.”
As the Taliban descends on Kabul, citizens are left fearing a future under the group’s rule. The last time the terrorist group reigned harshly, with women’s rights non-existent. Afghans drained their life savings and fled the country, while the poorest remained behind.
Taliban officials have promised a peaceful transfer of power, but many are skeptical. Suhail Shaheen told The Associated Press that militants would hold talks over the next coming days about forming an “open, inclusive Islamic government.” A different official said an announcement would be forthcoming concerning the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, but the report hasn’t yet come.
A video surfaced Sunday, showing Taliban fighters celebrating inside the presidential palace in Kabul. It shows them sitting in President Ghani’s chair.
It only took the Taliban just over a week to take over nearly all of Afghanistan. The move undid the almost two decades of work the US put in building up the Afghan government and security forces.
