This report summary presents the key findings of an upcoming larger report, assessing how armed actors in Afghanistan were able to use control of key roadblocks on major highways and border crossings to gain rent and power, depriving the central government of revenue, and ultimately undermining the political support for the Afghan Republic.
It looks at the politics of trade during the 2002-2021 Afghan Republic, how the Taliban engaged in roadblock politics, and what impact the actions of the country’s neighbours and international actors had. The report presents findings on revenues generated through these roadblocks, and the role of corruption and roadblock politics in the collapse of the Republic and the Taliban takeover.