Taliban Retaking of Afghanistan: The Challenges Ahead

This chapter presents a summary of the main challenges faced by Afghanistan since the Taliban resumed the control of the country in August 2021 after a two-decade-long armed insurgency against the US and NATO military presence in the country. It reviews the serious threat emanating from the presence of a vast network of global and regional terrorist groups in Afghanistan for regional peace and security. It describes that since the assumption of power in August 2021, the management of foreign relations, particularly with major global powers and neighboring countries, has been a major area of focus as well as a challenge for the Afghan Interim Government. It also shows that the Afghan Interim Government’s focus on creating conducive conditions for a focus on economic growth, trade, transit, and infrastructure for promoting regional economic integration and connectivity can help Afghanistan on the path toward lasting stability.