The invisible front: exploring the dynamics of Afghan resistance movements in the shadow of the Taliban’s second authoritarian rule

This paper analyzes resistance under Taliban’s de facto rule since August 2021 in a context defined by repression, surveillance, and criminalized dissent. It develops a modality-based typology distinguishing armed opposition, women-led civic and cultural resistance, and dispersed grassroots mobilizations. Drawing on qualitative analysis of scholarly literature, reports by international organizations, and primary materials produced by resistance actors, the study shows how these modalities differ in organization, repertoire, visibility, and relation to coercion. Rather than treating resistance as a unified phenomenon, it explains how distinct forms persist under authoritarian consolidation through localized networks, symbolic practices, and constrained coordination.