The Diplomat, November 28, 2024

Unbroken Chains: The Continuity of Systemic Corruption in Afghanistan

For the Afghan people, the fight against corruption is not just a matter of governance – it is a matter of survival.

By Mohammad Qadam Shah

More than three years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan for the second time, the situation is more dire for Afghan ordinary citizens than ever. Amid the barren landscape of rural Afghanistan, families struggle to survive on the edge of famine. Afghans, with no employment and no business opportunities, have no prospect of economic stability. The humanitarian aid intended to reach these vulnerable communities is intercepted, redirected to the black market, or siphoned into the coffers of powerful individuals.

Such stories are emblematic of the entrenched systemic corruption in Afghanistan, a rot that has persisted across regimes. The only difference is that, this time around, the Taliban are enforcing it with a side of Islamic extremism and brutal violation of human rights and women’s rights.

Afghanistan’s centralized governance structure, designed to concentrate power in the hands of a select few, has consistently facilitated corruption. The unchecked discretion of powerholders and the lack of meaningful accountability mechanisms have allowed embezzlement, nepotism, and the diversion of resources to thrive. Under the Islamic Republic, corrupt practices became institutionalized, plundering billions in aid and public funds. Today, under the Taliban regime, the same system remains intact – albeit transformed into an even more insidious kleptocracy where state resources and humanitarian aid are exploited to enrich the ruling group, leaving ordinary Afghans with little to nothing.

While breaking this vicious cycle of corruption seem impossible, the international community and donors can still play an effective role toward that end. They can impose more restrictions on the use of humanitarian aid and rely on neutral, locally embedded organizations. Likewise, the international community must impose more sanctions on known corrupt officials to disrupt the financial network that sustain the Taliban’s kleptocracy without imposing collective punishment on ordinary Afghans.

The Structural Flaws of Centralized Governance

At the core of Afghanistan’s corruption crisis is its excessively centralized governance model. Designed to concentrate power within the capital, this structure effectively sidelines provinces and local communities, creating a vast gap between the rulers and the ruled. Such a model inherently lacks accountability, as decisionmakers in Kabul face little pressure to address the concerns of ordinary citizens.

Unchecked discretion is a hallmark of this governance system. Officials have sweeping authority over resource allocation, government appointments, and law enforcement, with few institutional checks or public oversight. This centralization has fostered an environment where personal loyalties and political connections override merit, paving the way for nepotism and graft.

For decades, this system has been fertile ground for corruption. Local leaders have often relied on bribery to gain favor with Kabul, while national elites exploit their positions to secure lucrative contracts, manipulate aid flows, and enrich themselves. By marginalizing local governance, the centralized model has not only institutionalized corruption but also deepened the disconnect between the state and its people.

Systemic Corruption Under the Islamic Republic

The fall of the Taliban in 2001 brought hope for a new era in Afghanistan, but the structural flaws in governance remained untouched. Afghanistan relied on the same centralized governance structure that was first imposed on the country in the 1880s and evolved through the Soviet Union’s rule in Afghanistan. When Afghanistan adopted its 2004 Constitution, the same core features of the previous regimes persisted: a monopoly of power in the hands of a few with excessive discretion over state resources and without any downward accountability to Afghans.

Under the Islamic Republic, corruption became a defining feature of the state. Billions of dollars in foreign aid flowed into Afghanistan, ostensibly to rebuild infrastructure and strengthen institutions. Instead, much of this aid was squandered through a web of systemic graft. One of the most egregious examples was the phenomenon of “ghost soldiers.” The Afghan military’s payroll included tens of thousands of non-existent personnel, allowing officials to siphon off millions of dollars in salaries. Similarly, reconstruction contracts were often inflated, with kickbacks paid to powerful figures in Kabul.

Western aid agencies contributed inadvertently to this corruption by channeling vast sums through weak state institutions, failing to account for the local realities of power dynamics and governance. The result was a vicious cycle: aid money bolstered the very systems that enabled corruption, further alienating the Afghan population from their government.

By the time the Islamic Republic fell in 2021, corruption was deeply entrenched, eroding trust in state institutions and leaving ordinary Afghans to fend for themselves in the face of failing services and widespread inequality.

Kleptocracy Under the Taliban

The Taliban’s return to power has not dismantled Afghanistan’s corrupt governance structure. Unsurprisingly, the Taliban adapted the same centralized governance structure as it so well fits their own ideological ambitions: dominating the Afghan society, imposing their own extreme version of Islam, and extracting state resources for their own interests. These are the main features of a kleptocratic regime where corruption is not merely a byproduct of weak governance but a deliberate strategy of rule.

The Taliban have seized control of key revenue sources, including illegal mining and the narcotics trade. These activities generate billions of dollars annually, enriching the Taliban elite while leaving little for the country’s development. Furthermore, the Taliban exploit international humanitarian aid, redirecting supplies to their loyalists or selling them on the black market.

Reports have emerged of aid being withheld from marginalized communities, particularly women and ethnic minorities, as the Taliban use humanitarian assistance as a tool of coercion and control. This form of exploitation deepens existing inequalities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and despair.

Unlike the corruption under the Islamic Republic, which was often opportunistic, the Taliban’s kleptocracy is more systematic. It aligns with their broader strategy of consolidating power, ensuring that resources are concentrated in the hands of their leadership while ordinary Afghans are left to suffer.

As such, one may not see significant differences in the level of petty or grand corruption. The courts are used as a primary tool to punish those who disobey the Taliban’s rule. Otherwise, court sentences are basically up for sale: whoever pays more wins the case. More importantly, the courts do not abide by any human right standards.

The Taliban, just like every other new regime in Afghanistan through the ages, are distributing lands. As they do so, they punish some by usurping their lands and reward others by granting them land. Public services are not available for all, and the public have to – in most cases – compete by bribes for accessing services. While the Taliban are collecting taxes better than the previous government, they share the same issue as no one knows how the Taliban spend the public’s money. Procurement is a major area of grand corruption. Government projects lack transparency, and corruption flourishes in that darkness. Afghanistan’s natural and mineral resources are a major area where no Afghan citizen really knows what the Taliban are doing. China is apparently the main partner with the Taliban in this regard, but there are very few public details about their dealings.

The Human Toll of Corruption

The consequences of systemic corruption in Afghanistan are devastating and far-reaching. At the most basic level, corruption deprives citizens of essential services. Hospitals lack supplies, schools remain underfunded, and infrastructure projects are abandoned incomplete. Corruption also exacerbates poverty, pushing vulnerable populations further into desperation. For many Afghans, bribes are a necessary cost of accessing basic rights, such as obtaining identity documents or securing a place in school. Those who cannot afford to pay are excluded, perpetuating cycles of inequality.

Corruption kills by denying people access to healthcare, by exacerbating food insecurity, and by fueling the very conflicts that keep Afghanistan mired in chaos. No other outcome is perceivable under the Taliban’s rule. The human toll of corruption is not merely an abstract statistic, it is the lived reality of millions of Afghans who struggle daily to survive in a system that prioritizes power and profit over their welfare. Under the Taliban, Afghans may not experience suicide attacks, but they are dying silently through extreme poverty and lack of prospects for their future.

Breaking the Cycle: The Role of International Donors

In the face of such entrenched corruption, breaking the cycle may seem like an impossible task. However, international donors have a critical role to play in mitigating its effects.

First, donors must impose strict conditions on humanitarian aid to ensure it reaches the intended recipients. This can be achieved through increased oversight and transparency mechanisms, such as digital tracking systems that monitor the flow of aid from distribution centers to local communities.

Second, aid should be channeled through neutral, locally embedded organizations rather than centralized state structures. By partnering with grassroots NGOs and community leaders, donors can reduce the risk of diversion and ensure that assistance is targeted toward those most in need.

Finally, the international community must apply targeted sanctions against known corrupt officials within the Taliban regime. Such measures can disrupt the financial networks that sustain kleptocracy without imposing collective punishment on the Afghan population.

Conclusion

Afghanistan’s corruption crisis is a symptom of its flawed governance structure, a system designed to concentrate power rather than distribute it equitably. This structure has allowed corruption to thrive across regimes, from the opportunistic graft of the Islamic Republic to the systemic kleptocracy of the Taliban. The human toll of this corruption is immense, depriving millions of Afghans of basic services, deepening inequality, and perpetuating cycles of poverty and despair.

Breaking this cycle will require a concerted effort by the international community. By imposing strict conditions on aid, empowering local actors, and supporting governance reform, donors can help ensure that resources reach those who need them most. While the challenges are daunting, the stakes could not be higher. For the Afghan people, the fight against corruption is not just a matter of governance – it is a matter of survival.

Characters Count: 12363