Taliban Hopes Trump's Victory Will Improve Group's Relations With US

According to the United Nations, the Taliban have struggled to control poppy production effectively this year.

The UN’s data indicates that the area dedicated to poppy cultivation rose from 10,800 hectares last year to 12,800 hectares this year. Published on Wednesday, the report highlights that most of this increase has occurred in Afghanistan’s northeastern regions, where the price of dry opium has surged to around $730 per kilogram.

The United Nations emphasised the importance of supporting Afghan farmers to reduce their reliance on illegal markets. “As poppy cultivation in Afghanistan remains at a manageable level, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to help Afghan farmers build sustainable sources of income independent of illegal markets,” stated Ghada Fathi Waly, Executive Director of UNODC. She added that Afghan communities, facing severe financial and humanitarian challenges, urgently need alternative livelihoods.

‘Changing Geography of Poppy Cultivation’

According to UNODC findings, the geographical focus of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has shifted significantly. Until 2023, the southwestern provinces traditionally served as the primary poppy-growing areas. However, in 2024, 59% of Afghanistan’s poppy cultivation occurred in the northeastern provinces, representing a 381% increase in these areas compared to the previous year.

Efforts to eradicate poppy cultivation in Afghanistan face ongoing challenges. This year, Taliban forces reportedly used violent tactics to suppress several protests by farmers during poppy field eradication operations, particularly in Badakhshan province. In one instance, the crackdown on protesting villagers in Badakhshan resulted in at least seven deaths.

The protesting farmers criticised the Taliban’s inability to provide viable alternative crops, arguing that the destruction of poppy fields without offering sustainable income options would exacerbate poverty for many families.

The issue of poppy eradication and the development of alternative livelihoods was also a central topic at the recent third Doha meeting, attended by the Taliban and special representatives from regional countries. At the meeting, participants pledged to collaborate with the Taliban through specific working groups dedicated to the eradication of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.

The organisation wrote that the prisoners had been sentenced to death by the Islamic Republic's judiciary on charges of murder and drug offences.

Iran Human Rights (IHR) reported on Wednesday, November 6, that the Islamic Republic authorities carried out the death sentences of these prisoners at the Isfahan Central Prison on Saturday morning, November 2. The organisation identified the executed Afghan as Moavin Mir Jahani and said that he was 40 years old.

According to Iran Human Rights, Moavin Mir Jahani was arrested and sentenced to death on charges of "drug trafficking and carrying weapons”.

Earlier, Iran Human Rights announced on November 3 that executions of Afghans in Iran have increased since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, and that 90 Afghans have been executed in the country since 2022. In the past month alone, 13 Afghans have been executed in Iran on various charges, the organisation said.

The Iran Human Rights Organisation said that the execution of prisoners convicted on drug-related charges has increased steadily over the past four years, every year.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has continued to carry out the death sentences of prisoners despite strong opposition from international human rights organisations.

The court said that the defendants were sentenced to three years in prison and sentenced to 39 lashes.

The Taliban's Supreme Court announced in a statement on Wednesday, November 6, that the two defendants were sentenced to flogging in the presence of local officials, court clients, and the general public.

On Tuesday, November 5, the Taliban's Supreme Court announced the flogging of at least 27 people in Kabul, Maidan Wardak, Paktika, and Jawzjan provinces.

According to reports from the Taliban's Supreme Court, the group has publicly flogged more than 40 people in various provinces of Afghanistan in the past week.

This comes as international human rights organisations have repeatedly called on the Taliban to stop corporal punishment and torture of defendants. The Taliban, however, has continued to publicly punish the accused.

The Taliban consider the implementation of the public flogging sentence to be one of the orders of "Islamic Sharia".

These officials and leaders have expressed their readiness to work with Trump.

In his congratulatory message to Trump, European Council President Charles Michel said that the EU and the United States have an enduring alliance and a historic bond, and as allies and friends, the EU is eager to continue constructive cooperation with Washington.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Donald Trump on his victory, saying that the EU and the US are more than just ordinary allies. "We are bound by a true partnership between our people that unites 800 million citizens. Let's work together for a strong transatlantic agenda that benefits them all."

In a message, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called the United States one of the country's most important partners and stressed on his eagerness to strengthen ties with the new Trump administration.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu called Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election "historic" and said that the country is ready to strengthen strategic cooperation with the United States. "We hope that under your new leadership, peace and prosperity will be provided to all of our citizens," he added.

In his congratulatory message on Trump's victory on social media platform X, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof wrote, "I look forward to working closely together on common interests between the United States and the Netherlands."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Rome and Washington are linked by an unwavering alliance, shared values and historical friendship. She added that with Trump's "good work," this strategic bond will be further strengthened.

However, the final results of the US elections have not yet been announced, and Donald Trump has declared himself the winner of the election in the last moments of the vote counting.

Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, said that gender apartheid in Afghanistan is a reality and that the "systematic discrimination" against Afghan women is unprecedented.

They expressed their concern about the growing restrictions on the media and women in Afghanistan on Tuesday in a meeting organised by the Dashty Foundation and the Free Speech Hub and hosted by the Canadian Parliament.

Referring to the situation of women in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban, Bob Rae, Canada's representative to the United Nations, said that there is no such systematic, brutal and complete discrimination against women anywhere in the world.

He said that what exists is "gender apartheid" quite clearly.

Jacqueline O'Neill, Canada's ambassador for women, peace and security, said that they will do everything in their power to hold the Taliban accountable for their actions. Referring to the joint decision of Canada, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice, O’Neill said that there is no immediate change in the situation.

Canada and other Western countries are critical of the Taliban which has not yet criminalised gender apartheid. Britain's ambassador and interim head of the Security Council said this week that the gender apartheid debate could divert attention from helping Afghan women.
The Canadian government has not yet officially announced whether it supports the criminalisation of gender apartheid and its recognition in Afghanistan or not.

In this meeting, Ali Ehsassi, a member of the Canadian Parliament, and Lotfullah Najafizada, the head of Amu TV, spoke about the sharp decline in media freedom in Afghanistan and said that Afghanistan has fallen from 121st to 178th in the global press freedom index over the past three years.

In this meeting, the release of imprisoned Afghan journalists was emphasised.
In the last three years, more than 300 journalists have been arrested, persecuted and tortured.

The participants asked Canada and other countries that support press freedom to support Afghan journalists by providing safety training for working in the current conditions of Afghanistan, supporting exiled media and journalists, pressuring the Taliban to release imprisoned journalists, and lifting restrictions on electronic media.

They also emphasised on the need to support Afghan journalists in Türkiye, Iran and Pakistan who are facing the threat of deportation.

Afghan journalists asked the representatives of these countries to stick to their principled position towards Afghanistan.