Afghanistan’s Taliban on Tuesday urged followers to disregard “enemy propaganda” about internal fractures following the death of longtime leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and to unite behind his chosen successor.
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Cracks have appeared in the Taliban ranks since the death of their leader Mullah Mohammad Omar which was confirmed by Taliban outfit on Thursday.
The infighting could split the Taliban and threatens tentative peace talks with the Kabul government to end 13 years of war that began with a US-led campaign after the 9/11 attacks on the US.
Relatives of Mullah Omar have contested Mullah Mansoor’s appointment, demanding a wider vote that includes battlefield commanders as their almost 14-year insurgency continues.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said he could not confirm the statement came from Agha. Pakistan and other friendly countries of Afghanistan hope that the Taliban leadership will stay engaged in the process of peace talks in order to promote a lasting peace in Afghanistan, the FO statement added.
“In order to live with a clear conscience and abide by the principles of Mullah Omar, I decided that my work as head of the political office has ended”, Agha said in the statement published on a website regularly used by the Doha office and confirmed by a Taliban source.
Agha said he considered the decision to hide Omar’s death – generally attributed to Mansour – a “historic mistake by the individuals concerned”.
“A few people announced Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as the new leader at a meeting where neither majority of the Shura members nor Ulema were invited”, the council said in a statement.
Sections of the Pakistani and Afghan media suggest that several leaders had opposed the election of Mullah Akhat Mansoor. “Mullah Yaqub, the son of Mullah Omar, was killed a couple of days ago”, citing lawmaker Zahir Qadir, the Daily Outlook reported in its Tuesday’s edition.
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Lately, Taliban fighters have been defecting to the Islamic State group in northern Kunduz province, and the two rival militant groups have increasingly fought it out there. A statement from the National Directorate of Security said public gatherings to commemorate his death would be a “legitimate military target”.
