Islamic State of Afghanistan

Also known as Dawlat-i Islāmī-yi Afghānistan, Da Afghanistan Islami Dowlat

1992–2002 interim state in Central Asia established by the Peshawar Accords

Key facts

1992: Abdul Rasul Sayyaf
1997: Abdul Rahim Ghafoorzai
Status: Government-in-exile , controlling a rump state , (1996–2001)
Capital: Kabul ('1992–1996, 2001–2002)
Capital in exile: Taloqan (1996–2000), Fayzabad (2000–2001)
Official languages: Dari and Pashto
Religion: Islam (official)
Demonym: Afghan
Government: Unitary semi-presidential Islamic state
1992 acting: Sibghatullah Mojaddedi
1992 2001: Burhanuddin Rabbani
2001 2002 acting: Hamid Karzai

~8 min read

Article

The Islamic State of Afghanistan (Dari: دولت اسلامی افغانستان, Dawlat-i Islāmī-yi Afġānistān, Pashto: دا افغانستان اسلامی دولت, Da Afghanistan Islami Dowlat) was a unitary Islamic state that was established in April 1992 under the Peshawar Accord. Its power was limited due to the country's second civil war, which was won by the Taliban, who seized Kabul in September 1996. The Islamic state then transitioned to a government-in-exile and led the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. It remained the internationally recognized government of Afghanistan at the United Nations until 2001, when the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan was created and an Afghan Interim Administration took control of Afghanistan with US and NATO assistance following the overthrow of the first Taliban government. The Transitional Islamic State was subsequently transformed into the Islamic Republic, which existed until the Taliban seized power again in 2021 following a prolonged insurgency.

Background