Afghanistan marks the 107th anniversary of its independence from the British Empire in 1919. Yet, more than a century after gaining independence, the people of Afghanistan have still not been able to fully experience the true meaning of freedom, sovereignty, and national independence.

On 19 August 1919 (28 Asad 1298 in the Afghan Solar Hijri calendar), Afghanistan secured its independence from British control following years of political and military tensions. The event came after the Third Anglo-Afghan War and became a defining moment in Afghanistan’s modern history.

In 1919, following the assassination of Amir Habibullah Khan in Jalalabad, his son Amanullah Khan ascended to the throne. A reformist and staunch advocate of independence, Amanullah Khan immediately adopted a policy aimed at ending British influence over Afghanistan.

In his first major declaration, Amanullah Khan proclaimed:

“From now on, I declare the complete independence of Afghanistan to the world.”

Following this declaration, Afghan forces launched attacks in May 1919 against areas along the frontier then under British control in British India, in what is now Pakistan. These clashes developed into the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

Despite Britain’s military and technological superiority, Afghan forces offered strong resistance and used the country’s difficult geography to prevent further British advances. At the same time, domestic and international pressures contributed to Britain’s willingness to negotiate peace.

Eventually, the two sides signed a peace agreement in Rawalpindi. Under the agreement, Britain recognized Afghanistan’s independence in conducting its foreign affairs. This meant that Kabul could establish direct diplomatic relations with other countries without British control.

Following this achievement, Afghanistan established official relations with several countries, including the Soviet Union, Turkey, Iran, France, and Germany.

Afghanistan’s political independence marked the end of direct British influence over the country, and 28 Asad became recognized as Afghanistan’s national Independence Day.

August 19 is therefore more than a date on the calendar. It is a symbol of a nation’s resistance to colonialism and foreign intervention. It represents the sacrifices of generations who fought for freedom, sovereignty, and the right of Afghans to determine their own future.

But more than a century after independence, Afghanistan still struggles to experience the true meaning of this word.

The country has witnessed repeated changes of governments and political systems, the fall of regimes and monarchies, and the repeated alteration of national symbols, including its flag. Every political transformation has left another generation questioning what independence truly means.

In 2026, Afghanistan observes its Independence Day under the shadow of the Taliban, a group that seized power by force in August 2021 and established what it calls the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.”

Millions of Afghans remain displaced outside their homeland. Many are unable or unwilling to return because of insecurity, fear of imprisonment, persecution, and the absence of a government in which they feel safe and represented.

Every day, Afghans continue to leave their country because of insecurity, economic hardship, political repression, the lack of accountable governance, fear of speaking out, and countless other factors that have contributed to Afghanistan’s isolation and mass migration.

How can a country be called truly independent when millions of its citizens cannot safely return home?

How can we speak of freedom when people are afraid to raise their voices?

How can children understand the meaning of independence when they can only read about it in textbooks, while their lived reality tells them something entirely different?

And what does independence mean to the girls of Afghanistan whose greatest wish is simply to return to school and university?

Perhaps the true meaning of Afghanistan’s independence should be asked from those girls who have been deprived of their classrooms, from journalists who cannot freely report, from families who have been forced into exile, and from citizens who fear imprisonment or persecution for expressing their opinions.

Afghanistan may possess the symbols of a sovereign state, but independence is more than a flag, a national holiday, or a historical victory.

True independence means that citizens can live safely in their homeland, speak freely, receive education, work with dignity, participate in public life, and hold their government accountable.

Afghanistan’s Independence Day should therefore not only be a celebration of the past. It should also be a reminder of an unfinished struggle for a future in which every Afghan can genuinely experience freedom, dignity, justice, and national sovereignty.

Afghanistan achieved political independence from Britain in 1919.

But for millions of Afghans today, the dream of true independence remains unfinished.