Afghanistan International: Documents obtained by Afghanistan International reveal that Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, the Taliban governor of Balkh, has filed a formal complaint with the Taliban Supreme Court, calling for a military trial of Abbas Stanekzai, the group’s deputy foreign minister. Wafa accused Stanekzai of “disrespecting” Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and opposing his decrees. Click here
Amu: Amid reports of rising internal tensions, Abdul Kabir, the Taliban’s minister for refugees, has rejected the idea that leadership is open to all, emphasizing the authority of their reclusive leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. Speaking at a gathering in Kabul on Thursday, Feb. 20, Kabir insisted that Akhundzada remains the recognized leader and that Taliban officials
Afghanistan International: Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, has stated that internal divisions within the Taliban could lead figures such as Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Baradar to join the Vienna Process. Speaking in an interview with Afghanistan International on Tuesday, Mohaqiq, a participant in the Vienna Process, stressed that if
Afghanistan International: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, has not returned to Afghanistan for nearly a month, despite earlier claims by the Taliban spokesperson that he had re-entered the country two weeks ago, sources told Afghanistan International on Monday. According to multiple sources, Haqqani remains outside Afghanistan due to his dissatisfaction with the unilateral decisions
Amu: The Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has indirectly criticized the concentration of power within the group’s leadership, stressing the need for internal coordination and warning against policies that drive people to flee the country. Speaking at a religious school, Muttaqi suggested that the leadership should be more inclusive and avoid alienating its own
By Mustafa Sarwar and Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 13, 2025 The Taliban has for years presented a united front to the outside world and kept a tight lid on dissent within its ranks. But unprecedented displays of discord have laid bare the rifts in the secretive militant group and exposed an intensifying
8am: In recent months, the Taliban regime has intensified its crackdown on dissenting clerics. These clerics have protested against the monopolization of power by the Kandahari faction of the Taliban and have called for the formation of an “inclusive government” a demand that has been repeatedly voiced over the past three and a half years
Michael Hughes: According to realist theorist Hans Morgenthau, all politics is a struggle for power – a theory based on the darkest views of human nature; and one that is, unfortunately, applicable to the state of politics in most capitals worldwide. The power struggles do not only occur between reigning and opposition factions. Those who
Amu: The Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has deployed forces loyal to him to key strategic locations in Kabul, including the Bala Hissar fortress and Kabul International Airport, according to two sources familiar with the developments. The move, reportedly targeting areas previously under the control of the Haqqani network, highlights the growing rift between Akhundzada’s
Afghanistan International: Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, has urged officials within the group not to follow their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a manner that accords him a “prophetic or divine status.” In a newly released audio recording, Stanekzai called on Taliban members to refrain from “worshipping” their leader. The exact