James Town Report: Taliban Controls Afghanistan’s Mines with No Transparency
The American think tank James Town has reported that since regaining power, the Taliban administration has centralized control over Afghanistan’s mineral resources and turned this sector into a primary source of income and influence, instead of establishing transparent mechanisms for economic development.
The report states that the value of Afghanistan’s mineral resources is estimated at over one trillion dollars. According to assessments by the U.S. Geological Survey, more than 1,400 mineral deposits have been identified across 34 provinces in the country, including copper, lithium, zinc, lead, antimony, cobalt, and rare earth elements—reserves that have attracted the attention of regional countries and global powers.
James Town points out that the Taliban administration has so far awarded at least 205 mining contracts to more than 150 companies. In 2023, the administration also announced new mining contracts valued at over $6.5 billion; however, many details of these contracts, including the terms of the agreements and the management of revenues, have not been publicly disclosed.
The think tank also highlights a decline in transparency regarding mineral revenue reporting, noting that over 95 percent of reported mineral income in 2024 pertains to the first seven months of the year, while only about one million dollars were reported in the last five months. Afghanistan was also suspended from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) this year, a move that has amplified concerns about the lack of independent oversight over this sector.
The James Town report raises questions about how mining revenues are spent and the likelihood that networks close to the Taliban administration benefit from these resources. It also addresses the social and environmental consequences of mining, stating that at some coal mines, children are working without protective equipment, and local communities complain about being deprived of revenue shares and the depletion of natural resources.
James Town emphasizes that Afghanistan’s mineral resources could play a vital role in revitalizing the country’s economy if managed transparently and accountably—a crucial point given the widespread recession and decline in investment following the political changes in 2021.
