History of Afghanistan (1992–present) facts for kids

This article tells the story of Afghanistan from 1992, after the government of Mohammad Najibullah fell, up to when international troops left the country in 2021. It covers a time of big changes, civil wars, and new governments.

Afghanistan After the Soviets (1989-1992)

After the Soviet Union's soldiers left Afghanistan in February 1989, fighting kept going. The government, supported by the Soviets, fought against groups called mujahideen. The government was led by Mohammad Najibullah. But when the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Najibullah's government lost its support and fell on April 28, 1992.

The city of Kabul was left without strong defenses. Soon, forces led by Ahmed Shah Massoud took control of Kabul. This marked the start of a new period for Afghanistan.

The Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992-1996)

After the government fell, different mujahideen groups tried to form a new government. They set up an interim (temporary) council in April 1992. The plan was for a moderate leader, Prof. Sibghatullah Mojadeddi, to lead for two months. After that, a larger council led by Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani would take over for four months. The goal was to eventually hold a "Loya Jirga," which is a grand meeting of Afghan elders, to decide on a long-term government and hold elections.

However, things didn't go smoothly. In May 1992, Rabbani formed the leadership council earlier than planned. This weakened Mojadeddi's power. By June 1992, Mojadeddi handed over power to the council, and Rabbani became President.

But soon, heavy fighting broke out in Kabul in August 1992. Forces loyal to President Rabbani fought against rival groups, especially those supporting Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Even after agreements were signed, like the Islamabad Accord in March 1993, the fighting continued. Hekmatyar was even made Prime Minister, but it didn't stop the conflict.

Through 1993, Hekmatyar's forces often clashed with Rabbani and Massoud's groups. Other groups also joined in, sometimes switching sides. In January 1994, a powerful leader named Abdul Rashid Dostam changed his alliance. This led to even bigger fights in Kabul and other northern areas. Thousands of people were hurt or killed, and many became refugees. The country became very unstable.

The Rise of the Taliban (1996-2001)

Because of all the fighting and the lack of order, a new group called the Taliban emerged. Many Taliban members had studied in religious schools in Pakistan. They were mostly from rural areas and were Pashtun. They wanted to remove the warlords, bring law and order, and enforce a strict version of Islamic law called Sharia.

In 1994, the Taliban grew strong enough to capture the city of Kandahar. They then expanded their control across Afghanistan. They took Herat in September 1995 and Kabul in September 1996. They declared their government the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. By this time, Afghanistan had been at war for 17 years. The country faced many problems, including high rates of infant deaths, widespread poverty, and millions of landmines.

By the end of 2000, the Taliban controlled about 95% of Afghanistan. The groups opposing them were pushed into a small area in the northeast. The Taliban's rule was very strict. They enforced an extreme interpretation of Islam. This led to many human rights problems, especially for women and girls. Women were not allowed to work outside their homes or go to school. They also had to wear a traditional burqa and could not leave home without a male relative.

In 2001, the Taliban destroyed two huge ancient statues of Buddha in Bamiyan. They also announced that they would destroy all pre-Islamic statues in Afghanistan. Besides the ongoing war, Afghanistan suffered from poverty, drought, and damaged buildings. About a million Afghans faced starvation. Earthquakes in 1998 also killed thousands of people.

International Help and New Government (2001-2004)

From the mid-1990s, the Taliban gave a safe place to Osama bin Laden. He was a Saudi national who had fought against the Soviets. Bin Laden used Afghanistan as a base for his terrorist group, al Qaeda. The United Nations Security Council repeatedly punished the Taliban for this. Bin Laden and al Qaeda were blamed for attacks on United States embassies in 1998 and the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

By September 2001, the groups fighting the Taliban, known as the Afghan Northern Alliance, controlled less than 5% of the country. On September 9, 2001, Ahmed Shah Massoud, a hero of the Afghan resistance and the Northern Alliance's top military leader, was killed. He was believed to be assassinated by agents working for the Taliban and al Qaeda.

After the Taliban refused to hand over Bin Laden, the United States and its allies launched an invasion of Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. There was a period of bombing. Then, the Northern Alliance, helped by US bombing, quickly gained control of northern Afghanistan. They took Mazari Sharif on November 9 and Kabul on November 13, as the Taliban unexpectedly left the city.

The Taliban were pushed into smaller areas. Most of them fled to Pakistan. The fighting continued in the south, where the Taliban retreated to Kandahar. After Kandahar fell in December, some Taliban and al-Qaeda members continued to fight.

In June 2002, a "Loya Jirga" (grand council) was held. A temporary government was set up for Afghanistan, overseen by the United Nations and the United States. The assembly voted for Hamid Karzai to become President. He was reelected later and stayed in office until 2014.

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004-2021)

In 2003, another Loya Jirga approved a new constitution for Afghanistan, creating the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. During this time, NATO troops stayed in the country to help fight the ongoing Taliban insurgency.

The first election for president was held in 2004, and Hamid Karzai won. He was reelected in 2009. In 2014, Ashraf Ghani won the presidential election and became president. He was reelected in 2019.

The Taliban Returns to Power (2021-present)

NATO troops slowly began to leave Afghanistan. As they withdrew in 2021, the Taliban quickly started to gain control of many areas. In just three months, they captured 33 out of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban captured Kabul, and President Ghani left the country. Some groups that opposed the Taliban, along with parts of the former government, formed the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. They launched an insurgency against the Taliban from the Panjshir Valley.