The Taliban commemorate their first turbulent year in power in Afghanistan next to the former US embassy

• Analysis Afghanistan: a dark year under the shadow of the Taliban

• Afghanistan The Taliban disperse a women's demonstration in Kabul with blows and shots in the air

The Taliban chanted victory cries on Monday in

, near the former

embassy , to celebrate the first anniversary of their return to power in

, after a turbulent year marked by a major setback for women 's rights and the worsening of the humanitarian crisis.

On August 15, 2021, radical Islamists captured

after a lightning offensive against government forces, ending the 20-year international military intervention led by

.

"We fulfilled the obligation of jihad and liberated our country," says

, a fighter who entered Kabul on August 15 last year.

"Today is the day of victory and happiness for Muslims and the Afghan people. It is the day of conquest and victory of the white flag" of the Islamic Emirate, Afghan government spokesman

.

A year of Taliban power in Afghanistan

Taliban repression.

Secret (and forbidden) schools for girls

• Drafting: LLUÍS MIQUEL HURTADOIstanbul

Secret (and forbidden) schools for girls

Album.

Kabul: from panic to nothing, one year later

• Writing: MARIA CRESPO

Kabul: from panic to nothing, one year later

The chaotic withdrawal of foreign forces continued until August 31 with tens of thousands of people rushing to

airport hoping to be evacuated on a flight out of

.

Images of crowds storming the airport, boarding planes, some hanging from military cargo planes as they were about to take off, appeared on news reports around the world.

This Monday, declared a holiday, many Taliban took

in

, a large roundabout adorned with white flags of the

, in front of the former

embassy , ​​an AFP journalist has confirmed.

"Long live the Islamic Emirate! Allah is great!" shouted the Taliban in this spontaneous concentration.

On the streets of

, under a gray sky, traffic was scarce, although as usual armed Taliban patrols were seen in vans and checkpoints.

The fighters have expressed joy that their movement is in power, despite aid agencies saying half the country of 38 million faces extreme poverty.

"When we entered

and the Americans left, those were moments of joy," says

, a current member of the special forces guarding the presidential palace.

Meaningless life

But for ordinary Afghans, especially women, the return of the Taliban has only compounded the difficulties.

Initially, the Taliban promised a softer version of the harsh Islamist rule of their first government, from 1996 to 2001. But they quickly imposed a string of restrictions on women, to fulfill their harsh vision of Islam.

Tens of thousands of girls have been excluded from secondary education, and women are barred from many public positions.

In addition, they are prohibited from traveling alone outside of their city.

In May they were ordered to cover themselves from head to toe in public, ideally with a

.

"From the day they arrived, life lost its meaning," laments

resident

.

"They have taken everything from us, they have even entered our private space."

Last Saturday in Kabul, the Taliban dispersed with rifle butts and shots into the air a concentration of about forty women, who were demonstrating for the right to work and education.

Women on the warpath

This Monday, about 30 have gathered in the house of one of them and have published photos on social networks with slogans such as "the history of

is ashamed of the closure of schools" for girls.

"Our defense of justice has been silenced by the shots, but today we continue to ask for it from our house," a protester,

, told the press .

Although Afghans acknowledge that the violence has subsided since the arrival of the Taliban, the

has many desperate.

International aid, which financed 80% of the Afghan budget, is only just beginning to resume after being completely interrupted.

"People who come to our stores complain a lot about the high prices," says

, who runs a store in

, the Taliban's center of power.

So far, no country has recognized the Taliban regime.

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