KABUL: The Taliban government in Afghanistan on Wednesday said it hoped for a “new chapter” in US-Afghan relations after Donald Trump’s return to the presidency after a stunning victory in the November 5’s presidential election.
In a post on social media platform X, foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said that the Taliban government hopes the new Trump administration “will take realistic steps toward concrete progress in relations between the two countries,” allowing the two nations to “open a new chapter.”
The Taliban referenced Trump’s previous term, during which he brokered the historic Doha Agreement in February 2020. Signed in Qatar, the deal laid out terms for the eventual US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which concluded in 2021 after two decades of US military presence.
The withdrawal process, implemented under Trump’s successor President Joe Biden, has been a focal point of criticism for the former president, who repeatedly condemned the chaotic execution of the retreat that caused the deaths of 13 US service members in a Kabul airport attack.
Biden faced backlash for moving forward with the withdrawal without enforcing Taliban commitments, including a ceasefire and engagement with Afghanistan’s former government.
The Taliban, which has not been officially recognized by any government since reclaiming power in August 2021, faces international scrutiny over its restrictions on women’s rights, especially access to education and employment.
The United Nations has termed these limitations as “gender apartheid,” a key barrier to diplomatic recognition of the Taliban regime. Despite these restrictions, Taliban officials maintain that renewed US engagement could help advance stability in the region.
In a separate statement, Inamullah Samangani, head of the information and culture department in Kandahar, said that American voters’ reluctance to elect a female leader was in line with Taliban ideology. “Americans are not ready to hand over the leadership of their great country to a woman,” he said, referencing Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Former Afghan parliament member and women’s rights advocate Fawzia Koofi congratulated Trump on his win but voiced concern over the US withdrawal and its impact on women’s rights under the Taliban.
“As a businessman, Trump should understand that no nation can thrive in the long term by denying half its population the right to work and receive education,” Koofi said, alluding to the Taliban’s policies that have left Afghan women with limited opportunities.
Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency, AP news agency reported.
Despite varied responses, world leaders expressed readiness to work with Trump on shared goals in areas like security, peace, and economic cooperation.
