Afghanistan: Mines under the Boot of Plunder

May 7, 2026 | Ahmad Tamim Azimi
Hasht-e-Subh Daily
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Following the collapse of the republican system and in the absence of a legitimate government, secret contracts with domestic and foreign companies, unchecked extraction, and the distribution of mining concessions among the group’s commanders have entrenched a new form of predatory economics. What is currently unfolding in northeastern Afghanistan, particularly in Takhar and Badakhshan, is not simply political and economic disorder or resource mismanagement. It is also a parallel, imposed order in which the country’s natural wealth is being systematically looted under the weight of force, mafia networks, and backroom deals. In this context, the concept of “extraction” has given way to “exploitation,” and mines that should underpin public welfare have instead become a lifeline for unaccountable power structures and a tool for consolidating political control.