The Taliban Have Picked up the Resource Curse
Publisher: Foreign Policy
Author(s): Lynne O'Donnell
Date: 2022
Topics: Conflict Causes, Dispute Resolution/Mediation, Extractive Resources, Livelihoods
Countries: Afghanistan
For decades, Afghanistan’s people have been told of the vast riches beneath their feet, untapped mineral resources potentially worth billions of dollars that the world is clamoring to explore, exploit, and export to create jobs in a world-class, sustainable industry that would catapult them into a future of peace and prosperity.
It’s not entirely a myth. Afghanistan does sit atop huge deposits of copper, iron, marble, talc, coal, lithium, chromite, cobalt, gold, lapis lazuli, gemstones, and more—making Afghanistan one of the world’s most resource-rich countries on paper. The tricky part, as it has been for the better part of two decades, is turning potential into reality.