The militant group said it would form an inclusive government and protect citizens' rights, but many Afghans fear that the new Taliban regime will not be very different from the hard-line government in the 1990s.
Will the Taliban behave differently this time around?Image: dpa/AP/picture alliance
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After the Taliban entered the Afghan capital on Sunday, Suhail Shaheen, a spokesperson for the Taliban, said on Twitter that fighters were under strict orders not to harm anyone.
The militant group took over Kabul without facing any resistance from Afghan government forces.
"Life, property and honor of no one shall be harmed but must be protected by the mujahedeen," he said, referring to the Taliban fighters.
Earlier, Mohammad Naeem, another spokesman for the Taliban, told Al Jazeera that the Taliban do not want to live in isolation and want peaceful international relations.
As the Islamist group took control of the capital without bloodshed, commanders said they were ready to form an "inclusive" government with other Afghan stakeholders.
Experts say the Taliban, who ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, are seeking to project a moderate face. They have even promised that they would respect women's rights and protect both foreigners and Afghans.
But, according to reports from the UN and US, the Taliban committed war crimes during their assault on Afghan forces and executed some of the surrendering soldiers in parts of the country. The militants deny these accusations.
Afghan women fear dark days ahead as Taliban return to power
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Chaos and panic
Many Afghans say the Taliban are unlikely to keep their promises. They fear the group will return to past practices with their imposition of Shariah, or Islamic law.
During the Taliban's previous rule, which lasted from 1996 to 2001, they did not allow women to work and enforced harsh punishments such as whipping and hanging.
"I encouraged one of my colleagues to join the police. Taliban fighters killed her in her home," a female police officer in Kunduz province told DW on condition of anonymity.
The Taliban's swift and rapid battlefield advance across Afghanistan forced hundreds of thousand of people to flee to Kabul. Many of these were women, who recounted stories about Taliban atrocities.
Salima, a displaced woman from Takhar province, told DW that the Taliban came to mosques in her area and told everyone that their fighters will marry widows and young girls.
"They said that their fighters will marry two daughters of any family with three daughters," she said. "We got scared and left. Our home was hit and destroyed. We escaped at 2 o'clock in the morning with only one pair of shoes and clothes. We have nothing left."
The 'new' Taliban?
Some Afghans told DW that, so far, the Taliban were showing restraint.
"Taliban fighters are not targeting former government employees," Ghulam Haidar, an elder in Kunduz, told DW.
He said people had access to food and water in Kunduz.
"The airport is not operational. There are no commercial or military flights from the province," he added.
Haidar also said schools were closed in Kunduz. "The Taliban are planning to use them as rehabilitation centers for drug addicts," he said, adding that the militants are not using schools and other government facilities as their military camps.
According to some residents, the Taliban are also not stopping anyone from running their businesses, but some people are still hesitant to open their shops.
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Abandoned and betrayed
The US has come under heavy criticism for leaving Afghanistan, in what many believe was a premature move, and without a proper peace deal between all the Afghan stakeholders.
The Taliban succeeded in capturing several territories after US President Joe Biden announced an unconditional withdrawal of US forces from the country in February.
Experts say many Afghans feel abandoned and betrayed by the US, which had vowed to protect human rights in their country.
"We had urged the Afghan government and the international community for months to secure our city, but no one paid attention to our pleas," Halima Sadaf Karimi, a lawmaker from the northern Jawzjan province, told DW.
"The international community is also responsible for what is happening in Afghanistan right now. It gave legitimacy to the Taliban by signing a peace deal with them. And, now that the Taliban are committing war crimes in our country, the international community is not even condemning these acts," she added.
Afghans try to flee as Taliban topples government
Hundreds are trying to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban swept into the capital. Western powers airlifted civilians out of Kabul airport as commercial flights were halted.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Desperate Afghans try to enter Kabul airport
Afghan families have been making increasingly desperate attempts to get into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Many children are among the crowds trying to make a last ditch attempt to escape the Taliban who stormed the capital city.
Image: REUTERS
Afghans face an uncertain future
Since the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, Afghans have faced a difficult decision: stay and hope government forces contain the Taliban insurgency or flee to neighboring countries. Now that the Taliban has seized Kabul, many now appear to be caught in limbo, with no clear indication as to what will happen next.
Image: REUTERS
Crowds gather at Kabul airport
Kabul's main airport, named after Hamid Karzai, the first president installed after the Taliban were toppled, was the scene of desperate crowds on Monday. Hundreds were hoping to board planes and flee Taliban rule. While Western powers rushed to evacuate small groups of people, mostly their own citizens but also some local employees, commercial flights in and out of the country were halted.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Taliban take presidential palace
After the fall of the capital city, Kabul, Taliban fighters took control of the Afghan presidential palace on Sunday. Live footage showed Taliban commanders and fighters sitting inside the palace, declaring victory in their campaign against Afghan forces.
Image: Zabi Karim/AP/picture alliance
Fear of Islamist rule
Many fear the hard-line Islamist rule of the Taliban, who claimed in a statement that they would not take revenge against those who supported the US-backed alliance. Women and girls were mostly prohibited from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan. People in Kabul hurriedly took their own steps to try to hide images the fundamentalists might dislike.
Image: Kyodo/picture alliance
Crossing the border to Pakistan
While the Hamid Karzai airport saw an exodus of people trying to leave, some Afghans crossed over the border to Pakistan. Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told DW that the government has closed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan.
Image: Jafar Khan/AP/picture alliance
Taliban return weeks after US withdrawal
The US and its allies entered Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and toppled the Taliban. As the 20-year conflict came to an abrupt end with the pullout of US and NATO troops, Afghan government forces quickly collapsed without support.
Image: Hoshang Hashimi/AP Photo/picture alliance
Taliban leadership
The Taliban governed the country from 1996 to 2001 and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic Shariah law. It was founded under the leadership of Mullah Omar. Haibatullah Akhundzada is now the top leader, while co-founder Mullah Baradar, seen in this image, heads the political wing.
Image: Social Media/REUTERS
Taliban fighters raise their flag
The Taliban claims it is ready to control the country and on Monday said it would not harm civilians who had cooperated with Western forces. "We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection," Taliban political office spokesman Mohammad Naeem told broadcaster Al Jazeera. The claim might not be easy for all to believe.
Image: Gulabuddin Amiri/AP/picture alliance
Women and children at risk
Women, children and other minorities are likely to suffer badly under the Taliban regime. Women and girls were barred from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan, which was overturned after the US-led invasion in 2001.
Image: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
President Ghani flees
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on August 15. "In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out," he said, but stressed that he would continue to fight for the country.
Image: Rahmat Gul/AP Photo/picture alliance
Former President Karzai urges peace
Afghan leaders have created a council to meet with the Taliban and manage the transfer of power. Former President Hamid Karzai, who is part of the council, said this was "to prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people," and to manage a "peaceful transfer" of power.
Image: Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo/picture alliance
US, European powers evacuate
Germany deployed military planes to help with evacuation from Afghanistan after closing its Kabul embassy. The US, Britain and Saudi Arabia are also evacuating forces, diplomats, and other officials from the country.
Image: Moritz Frankenberg/dpa/picture alliance
Protests in the US
Many in the US demonstrated in front of the White House for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan on the weekend. Admiral Mike Mullen said the US and allies "underestimated the impact of what a corrupt government does." He added: "We just reached too far, expectations were too high, and it was a bridge too far to get to where we thought we wanted to go."
