Law students and lawyers in Afghanistan are reporting with JURIST on the situation there after the Taliban takeover. Here, a law student in Kabul reports on continuing challenges to the Taliban government and the prospects for further conflict in Afghanistan. For privacy and security reasons, we are withholding the name of our correspondent. The text has only been slightly edited to respect the author’s voice. Since taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have tried to cover up any news of revolt and resistance against them, although Afghanistan International reported that since August last year there have been at least 13 clashes between Taliban and anti-Taliban movements in Baghlan province, 8 in Panjshir province and 3 in Takhar province. There have also been minor clashes and attacks against the Taliban in six other provinces, excluding the capital. Recently, last Friday May 6, there were reports of another conflict between the Taliban and the National Resistance Force; an NRF spokesman claimed 22 Taliban dead and 6 wounded. The Taliban have denied the existence of any conflict in Panjshir at first, although videos of fighting and of Taliban reinforcement convoys moving towards Panjshir have been shared on social media. Hasht-e-sobh, the country’s most widely read newspaper, has confirmed that 20 bodies of Taliban fighters have been taken to the southern provinces. earlier than usual, which would make Ramadan 29 days instead of a full moon; this decision was not well received and the people decided to fast on the day; Locals confirmed in many areas, particularly areas where anti-Taliban fronts are most active, that the Taliban forced people to drink and break their fast early. On the second day, when people gathered for the Eid prayer, they were arrested and the public dispersed. The NRF spokesman claimed that this was the reason for their attack and the Panjshir liberation operation led by Commander Khalid Amiri, a famous former commander of the Afghan National Force. One of the most immoral and at the same time viable strategies of the Taliban is to take hostages and persecute the parents, siblings and the entire family of the suspects. There have been reports of torture, inhuman behavior and harsh living conditions against the families of people suspected of being Taliban. As an example, since the NRF conflict last Friday, the Taliban took elderly citizens of Panjshir hostage, beat them and detained them on charges of supporting resistance forces, in order to force NRF fighters to surrender, or at least back down. Hasht-e-sobh, citing from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project), reports that at least six groups of freedom fighters are currently engaged against the Taliban and are gaining influence with the public here. The National Resistance Force is the current dominant group among the anti-Taliban movements. The Azadagan (Free People) Front has been jointly fighting the Taliban in recent days with the NRF. The National Liberation Front is another group that, in a recent attack, assassinated a prominent Taliban figure in western Kabul, known for organizing suicide attacks against Shiites. The Wolves of Jawzjan is an anti-Taliban movement made up mainly of Uzbeks. The formation of the Afghan Liberation Movement, a Pashtun-led group, is believed to be a big step for anti-Taliban movements, although the other two are smaller groups. No matter how harsh the circumstances and whoever is in charge, the people of Afghanistan will not rest until a government that is inclusive and respectful of people’s freedoms is established. Historically speaking, the fight against the communist regime in Afghanistan, then directly against the Soviets, and then against the Taliban, was not successful overnight. These fights went on for years. The fact that US politicians never fully committed to the Afghan war and then never abandoned it was one of the reasons it took so long to form a stable Afghan government. Years of war collapsed the Afghan economy and claimed millions of lives. Many were forced to flee, most of them experts in their respective fields, damaging and scarring Afghanistan irreparably for decades. Now Afghanistan is a country with about forty million inhabitants. Another protracted war would not only kill twice as many, but would likely precipitate famine and chaos leading to a humanitarian crisis. The only important question remains: where is the United States?