Tarz Press—While the Taliban have recently signed contracts with several foreign companies for the extraction of Afghanistan's mineral resources, Amrullah Saleh, the former First Vice President of the previous Afghan government, claims that these contracts have been awarded to mafia-like companies. He asserts that this is the reason why the Taliban have not disclosed details about these companies.
On Monday, August 19, Saleh took to his X account to express his concerns regarding the contracts the Taliban have signed for mining extraction with certain foreign companies. He wrote, "Signing these contracts with the Taliban is akin to pouring acid on one's own reputation and finances."
He warned, "Governments and companies that negotiate mining rights or contracts with the Taliban must be aware that signing agreements with groups lacking domestic and international legitimacy is like pouring acid on their own name and money."
Saleh further stated that the Taliban have handed over Afghanistan's mines to mafia-like companies without proper documentation. According to him, only a few reputable Chinese and Turkish companies, which were operational during the Republic era, remain active in Afghanistan. He noted, "Unfortunately, the Taliban are selling Afghanistan's mines to mafia-like companies without any documentation. The Taliban boast about the mining sector in Afghanistan, yet they have not provided any documentation for the companies they have signed agreements with."
This comes as the Taliban government has signed contracts for the extraction of 22 major mines in Afghanistan over the past three years, with the total value of these contracts reaching $7.5 billion. Most of these major mining contracts have been awarded to Chinese companies, and over the past year, the Taliban have reportedly earned over $100 million from the sale of oil from the Amu Darya basin, emeralds, and lead.
