Afghan opposition will struggle to remain relevant

Significance

Meanwhile, long-standing opposition groups such as the National Resistance Front (NRF) and Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) have re-launched armed campaigns within Afghanistan.

Impacts

• Most Western countries will avoid supporting armed opponents of the Taliban, especially as the NRF draws closer to Russia and Iran.
• Given support for the NRF from Tajikistan, the Taliban will give more encouragement to the jihadist Tajik Taliban Movement.
• The NRF, a mainly ethnic Tajik organisation, will find it increasingly hard to claim that it is a truly ‘national’ opposition.