Taliban Mining Economy: An Insurgent Way of Doing Business

Taliban Mining Economy: An Insurgent Way of Doing Business

Executive Summary: Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have centralized control over Afghanistan’s trillion-dollar mineral wealth, treating it as a primary revenue source rather than a foundation for national development. The mining sector operates with severe opacity and resembles the group’s former insurgent financing methods, with revenues allegedly captured by elite networks instead of being transparently deposited into state acco…