Internal power struggles over mining fuel unrest in Northern Afghanistan

Unresolved disputes over mining rights, revenue distribution and local communities’ access to natural resources

Unresolved disputes over mining rights, revenue distribution and local communities’ access to natural resources are contributing to continued violence and instability in northern Afghanistan, according to a report.

The report, titled “Gold, Power and Grievance: Afghanistan’s Mining Sector and Unrest,” examines how competition for control of the country’s mineral wealth has intensified tensions among Taliban factions, mining companies and local residents.

Afghanistan possesses substantial mineral resources, including nearly 90 confirmed mineral occurrences and more than 30 critical minerals, such as lithium, rare earth elements, copper and cobalt. However, the report argues that mining operations under Taliban rule continue to face serious challenges related to transparency, legal oversight and accountability.

According to the publication, subsidiary laws governing the sector have been repealed, while no independent institution audits mining revenues. It also alleges that mining concessions have been awarded through informal applications and personal connections rather than transparent, competitive bidding processes.

The report identifies internal rivalries within the Taliban leadership as a major factor behind the unrest, particularly the struggle between the Kandahari leadership and the Haqqani Network over control of mining operations and associated revenues.

Tensions reportedly intensified following a leadership reshuffle in 2024, when the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum was transferred from Haqqani-aligned Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar to Kandahar-aligned Haji Gul Agha, also known as Mullah Hidayatullah Badri.

The change reportedly triggered resistance from local commanders affiliated with the Haqqani faction, who opposed transferring mining authority to officials aligned with the Kandahari leadership.

Local Communities Bear the Consequences

The northeastern provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan are among Afghanistan’s resource-rich areas, containing deposits of gold, precious and semi-precious stones and other valuable minerals. However, the report highlights serious grievances among residents over how these resources are being extracted and managed.

Local communities have reportedly faced forced displacement, the seizure of agricultural land, environmental degradation and violent crackdowns. Residents have also complained that the economic benefits of mining largely go to influential individuals rather than the communities living near extraction sites.

Disputes surrounding gold mines in Badakhshan and Takhar have repeatedly escalated into deadly confrontations involving rival Taliban factions, mining companies and local populations.

One notable incident occurred in January 2026 in the Samti area of Chah Ab district in Takhar, where clashes reportedly left four people dead and five others injured.

Factional tensions also led to armed confrontations in Badakhshan’s Nusay district involving Haqqani-affiliated commander Jumma Khan Fateh. He eventually surrendered on August 17. The Taliban later disclosed that an intercepted audio recording indicated Fateh had contacted the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), an armed resistance group opposing Taliban rule.

Allegations of Corruption and Financial Mismanagement

The report further raises concerns about corruption and the lack of financial oversight in Afghanistan’s mining industry. It cites alleged payments of $200,000 in connection with the Wikador mine and a $700,000 scheme involving talc in Nangarhar. It also points to undisclosed financial interests allegedly held by senior officials in mining projects, including the Awez gold deposit in Shahri Buzurg.

The investigation concludes that the unrest in northern Afghanistan is primarily rooted in domestic power struggles, competition over mineral wealth and longstanding local grievances. It presents the violence as an internal issue driven by disputes over control, revenue and rights, rather than an externally driven conflict.