"We are united," the Afghan Taliban denied differences in leadership

 
Senior Taliban officials in Afghanistan, including Taliban spokesman and minister Zabihullah Mujahid and a member of the Haqqani Network, have denied reports of differences between the leadership of various Taliban factions since the formation of the interim government.

According to the AP news agency, after the formation of the cabinet by the Taliban on September 7, news of differences began to circulate, which, contrary to their promises, seems to be in line with their strict rule in the 1990s.

Rumors of an alleged violent clash between pragmatist and ideological factions led by the Taliban surfaced at the presidential palace last weekend, claiming that Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar had been killed.

Alleged differences between Abdul Ghani Baradar and Refugee Minister Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani were confirmed to the BBC by a senior Taliban member based in Qatar.

Sources blamed unhappiness over the structure of Abdul Ghani Baradar's interim government as the main reason for the clash, but added that the two factions also debated over who should get more credit, with Baradar allegedly wanting their And the Haqqani network's diplomatic efforts should be recognized as much as possible, and they are adamant that the fighting faction has played a major role.

Rumors of Abdul Ghani Baradar's death had spread to such an extent that he personally released an audio recording and written statement that the rumors of his death were false, he said in an interview with the country's national TV yesterday. She is OK.

Other Taliban officials have also denied reports of rifts within the leadership, and Mujahideen have been among those who have come forward to dispel the rumors.

Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of the new Taliban interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, also said in a statement yesterday that the Islamic Emirate is united.

A day before Anas Haqqani's tweet, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in a separate statement called the news of differences within the Taliban propaganda.

The Islamic Emirate is a united front which highly respects single line of Islamic values ​​(Islamism) & Afghani values ​​(Afghanism). We are all United in bringing peace, prosperity and stability to our beloved #Afghanistan. https://t.co/YJ2KpTg4v6

— Anas Haqqani(انس حقاني) (@AnasHaqqani313) September 15, 2021

Analysts say the differences may not be a serious threat to the Taliban.

"We have seen over the years that, despite the conflict, the Taliban are largely a cohesive entity, and big decisions do not seem to be a major setback," said Michael Kogelman, deputy director of the Wilson Center's Asia program in Washington.

"I think the current internal differences can be controlled, yet the Taliban will be under a lot of pressure as they try to consolidate their power, gain legitimacy and deal with major policy challenges, if they If efforts fail, the pressured Taliban could face further chaos at home.