The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the official
name of the Taliban, appointed Mullah Omar’s brother and eldest son to key
leadership positions in the jihadist group’s executive council. Mullah Omar’s
kin had previously opposed the appointment of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as
emir of the Taliban after Omar’s death was disclosed in the summer of 2015, but
quickly changed their mind and swore allegiance to Mansour.
The Taliban announced yesterday that Mullah Abdul
Manan Akhund, a brother of Mullah Omar, was named “the head of Dawat wal
Irshad,” or the Preaching and Guidance Commission. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub,
Omar’s eldest son, was given a seat on the executive council, which is better
known as the Quetta Shura, “as well as the military chief of 15 provinces”
within the structure of the Taliban’s Military Commission.
The Taliban made the announcement
in an
English-language statement on Voice of Jihad, its official
website.
“Both of the new officials of Islamic Emirate were
given advise [sic] by the Amir ul Mumineen [the Commander of the Faithful, the
title for Mullah Mansour] who later prayed to Allah Almighty for their success
in their current duties,” the statement concluded.
According to the Taliban, Manan and Yacoub
received their new positions at “a special meeting” that “was convened by
the Islamic Emirate in which the leader, council members, high ranking
officials and military heads participated.”
While the statement did not indicate where the
meeting was held, it likely took place in Quetta, the Pakistani city where the
Taliban’s top leaders are known to be based.
Both Manan and Yacoub
accepted senior level positions within the Taliban. The Preaching and
Guidance Commission is considered by the Taliban to be one of its most
important committees, as it is tasked
with spreading “the goals of Islamic Emirate and illegality and
aims of the invaders and their stooges,” or the Afghan government. The Military
Commission is the Taliban’s largest and most influential structure, and Yacoub
now assumes control of military operations in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.
The appointment of Manan and
Yacoub to high level positions within the Taliban’s leadership hierarchy may
indicate that they are in line to succeed Mansour. However, they would face
stiff competition fromSirajuddin
Haqqani, one of Mansour’s two deputies. Siraj is the Taliban’s
overall military commander and also leads the Haqqani Network, which is closely
linked to al Qaeda and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate and
military.
Manan and Yacoub initially opposed Mansour’s
appointment as Amir ul Mumineen after Mullah Omar’s death was announced on July
31, 2015. Omar died at a hospital in Karachi in April 2013, and the Taliban and
Omar’s family concealed his death as they feared it would cause divisions at a
crucial time, when US forces began to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Reports from the region indicated that Manan and
Yacoub initially did not approve of the way that Mansour was chosen to lead the
Taliban. Yacoub is rumored to have sought to replace his father as the emir of
the group.
But by mid-September 2015, Manan
and Yacoub reconciled with Mansour and swore
allegiance to him. This closed a major rift that existed within the
Taliban’s ranks, but others still exist.
Mansour still faces a challenge from Mullah Rasul,
who leads a breakaway Taliban faction. Clashes between supporters of the two
groups break out occasionally, but there are some indications that the factions
wish to reconcile. The Islamic State also has a small presence in Afghanistan,
however it does not pose a direct threat to Mansour’s leadership.
Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of The Long War Journal.
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