Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe Islamic Emirate stated that SIGAR was created during the U.S. presence to monitor American spending and had nothing to do with Afghans.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has announced that it will formally end operations on January 31, 2026.
With the conclusion of SIGAR’s mission, one of the most critical U.S. oversight bodies monitoring aid and expenditures in Afghanistan will be officially shut down.
Over 17 years of activity, SIGAR released dozens of investigative and audit reports, many of which exposed corruption, mismanagement, financial waste, and the failures of major reconstruction projects.
In its final years, SIGAR focused on the consequences of foreign troop withdrawal, the collapse of the former Afghan government, and the fate of U.S. military equipment and assets left behind.
Mirshakar Yaqubi, an Afghan economic analyst, said: “Although SIGAR wasn’t a donor agency, its work significantly influenced the decisions of donors. It played an important role in transparency, oversight, documenting corruption, and evaluating project efficiency.”
According to SIGAR’s reports, the United States spent over $145 billion on Afghan reconstruction a large portion of which, due to weak oversight, systemic corruption, and poor decision-making, failed to yield lasting results.
While the mission’s end marks the closure of an era of oversight, major questions regarding accountability, transparency, and the fate of billions of dollars in expenditures remain unanswered.
Another economist, Sayed Masoud, commented: “Since U.S. aid for Afghanistan’s reconstruction has stopped, SIGAR’s role came to an end. There is no longer a significant amount of money left that would require independent review, and specific reports have already been published.”
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stated that SIGAR was created during the U.S. presence to monitor American spending and had nothing to do with Afghans.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, emphasized: “If this agency stops its activities, it will have no impact on Afghanistan. It wasn’t for Afghanistan, nor did it bring any benefit. In recent years, its reports were exaggerated and based on distant hearsay without proper investigation.”
SIGAR was established by the U.S. Congress in 2008 to independently oversee how U.S. funds were spent on reconstruction, security, governance, and development in Afghanistan.
In its final statement, SIGAR expressed appreciation to all organizations, media outlets, researchers, and individuals who supported or used its reports and findings throughout its mission.