State building terrorists’ groups: case study of Taliban

Agnietė Žotkevičiūtė Banevičienė

Small Wars and Insurgencies, 2025, vol. 36, issue 6, 1049-1076

Abstract: This study examines the governance strategies of the Taliban, focusing on their transition from an insurgent group to Afghanistan’s de facto governing authority following their return to power in 2021. Moving beyond conventional views of terrorist organizations as purely militant actors, this research analyses the Taliban’s state-building efforts through the lens of rebel governance. By conceptualizing rebel legitimacy as both pragmatic and moral, the study explores how the Taliban has sought to consolidate control domestically while navigating international recognition. Pragmatic legitimacy is assessed through their provision of public services, economic management, security enforcement, and diplomatic engagement. Moral legitimacy is examined through their respect for human rights, respect for individual freedoms, ideological indoctrination, and the rule of law. The findings indicate that while the Taliban has demonstrated governance capacity in areas such as infrastructure development and security consolidation, their exclusionary policies, human rights violations, and economic challenges undermine long-term legitimacy.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2025.2494815

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