New Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour calls for unity

“This is a big responsibly on us”.

High Peace Council officials said ahead of the slated second round of talks that the Afghan government would be calling for a ceasefire as a show of sincerity from the Taliban.

“While the exact circumstances of his death remain uncertain, it is clear that his demise, after decades of war and thousands of lives lost, represents a chance for yet more progress on the path to a stable, secure Afghanistan”, the White House statement said.

“Actually, it wasn’t a Taliban Leadership Council meeting”. News of the death was leaked by elements within the Afghan state on the eve of a second round of direct talks between the Afghan government and representatives of the Afghan Taliban shura in Pakistan.

In the 33-minute message, Mansour also implored Taliban cadres to continue waging their 14-year insurgency and be wary of foreign propaganda to sow discord within the group.

Taliban’s new chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor’s first audio message surfaced on Saturday.

Some analysts are of the view that Omar’s death could push some Taliban commanders toward “Islamic State” (IS) – a Sunni militant group active in Syria and Iraq which is looking to expand its influence to Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Afghan government said it is optimistic about the peace process after Omar’s death, saying the “road for the Afghan peace talks is more paved now than before”. A statement issued by the Taliban purporting to be a message to the rank and file from Mansoor was an attempt to appease and please all sides — those who favor peace and those who still believe they can overthrow the Kabul government.

Mansour’s inventory may well be a guaranteeing building for silence discussions, observers say, if he can twist their arm other factions of a given irritable insurgency to strengthen him.

The elusive leader had not appeared in public since the Taliban regime’s overthrow in Afghanistan 14 years ago and made no video or authenticated audio statements in that time.

Mansoor replaces Taliban founder Omar, who’s death has been confirmed by the Taliban, although the timing is unclear. “Our decisions must all be based on Sharia law”. The ISI does have long links with Islamic militants in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, since at least the 1980s, when it funneled weapons and money to insurgents battling Soviet forces.

“This claim has no basis”.

Were the Americans, with their vast surveillance powers, completely unaware that Mullah Omar has been dead for years or has died recently?

The Haqqani Network is considered one of the country’s most vicious militant organisations, responsible for complex and well-planned attacks that often involve large numbers of suicide bombers and produce heavy casualties.