2026-10-22UTC04:17:47Z /oai

opus4.bicc:15229 2026-05-26 doc-type:BICC Policy brief

2 BL.ADS https://doi.org/10.60638/7ksw-0j50 Susanne Schmeidl Katja Mielke Conrad Schetter bicc 2026 BICC Policy brief /SystemData/Languages/English The Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 has been accompanied by an active effort to reshape both national and sub-national governance, reordering authority around religious leadership and centralised control. At the same time, local governance institutions in Afghanistan remain plural and hybrid: Customary structures continue to operate but are increasingly reshaped, co-opted or penetrated by actors aligned with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA). This policy brief examines what remains of local agency, and how to navigate the dilemmas and trade-offs that follow. Continue reading below.