Afghan Taliban praise new leader in effort to rally ranks

In a statement issued on the website of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Abdul Qayum Zakir said that he has heard that some reports have quoted Mullah Mohammad Hassan Rehmani, Mullah Abdul Razaq and Mullah Mohammad Rasool that he had differences with new Amir Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. The Taliban on Thursday confirmed that Mullah Omar died of an illness some time ago and said they elected Mansoor as his successor.

The group is now engaged in peace talks with the Afghan government.

A spokesperson for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said Wednesday, citing “credible information”, that Omar had died in April 2013 in Pakistan. The seminary became an internationally famous stopover for likeminded hardliners from all over the world, including the likes of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

The historic power transition also raises hopes a more moderate leadership will pave the way for an end to Afghanistan’s bloody war.

The group also named two deputies to Mansoor – Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzada, who headed the group’s judiciary, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of a leader of the Haqqani network, a group that operates in close coordination with the Taliban.

Though the Haqqani network was allied with Taliban and followed Omar, it carried out its operations independently. His seniority in the council, proximity to the man he deputised for the past three years, former leader Mullah Omar (officially declared dead by the Taliban on Friday), and his origins in Kandahar-the heartland of the organisation-made him a frontrunner for the role. Afghan and Pakistani officials had said that a second round of meetings would be held between Taliban representatives and the Kabul government this week.

The news of Mullah Omar’s death sparked a leadership contest that many feared could create disunity within the group, potentially affecting the outcome of recently opened peace talks.

Originally a hardliner opposed to any sort of peace process with the Pakistani government, his stance has softened in recent years, which has put him at odds with more militant leaders.

But the internal opposition is unlikely to prevent Mansour from proceeding with peace talks launched in the Pakistani hill station of Murree earlier this month.

But Mansour, 50, has powerful rivals within the Taliban who oppose negotiations and have been pushing for Mullah Omar’s son Yaqoob to take over the movement.

Despite operating in near-total secrecy, the reclusive one-eyed Mullah Omar had served as a unifying figure in the Taliban.

The Haqqanis have been blamed for spectacular attacks on Afghan government and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation targets across Afghanistan as well as kidnappings and murders.