• Report claims Hibatullah Akhundzada ‘spooked’ by possibility of schism between his hardline base in the south, more pragmatic ministers in the capital
• Zabihullah Mujahid ‘confirms’ existence of audio recording, but terms BBC claim ‘unfounded’
A STARK message from the Taliban supreme leader, warning of internal threats to the Islamic Emirate, has seemingly laid bare the long-speculated divide between Kandahar and Kabul, BBC News reported.
An audio recording of a speech — delivered by Hibatullah Akhundzada at a seminary in Kandahar around a year ago — contains what some are interpreting as confirmation of differences among top Taliban leaders.
In the leaked clip, obtained by the BBC, Akhundzada can be heard saying that internal disagreements could eventually bring them all down.
According to the investigation by BBC Afghan, two distinct groups have emerged within the Afghan Taliban, each presenting competing visions for how Afghanistan should be governed.
One is entirely loyal to the Akhundzada-led Kandahar faction, who is driving the country towards his vision of a strict Islamic Emirate — isolated from the modern world, where religious figures loyal to him control every aspect of society.
The second faction is made up of powerful Taliban members largely based in the capital Kabul, advocating for an Afghanistan which — while still following a strict interpretation of Islam — engages with the outside world, builds the country’s economy, and even allows girls and women access to an education they are currently denied beyond primary school.
The question was always whether the Kabul group — made up of Taliban cabinet ministers, powerful militants and influential religious scholars commanding the support of thousands of Taliban loyalists — would ever challenge Akhundzada in any meaningful way, as his speech suggested.
Then came a decision which would see the delicate tug of war between the most powerful men in the country escalate into a clash of wills.
In late September, Akhundzada ordered the internet and phones to be shut off, severing Afghanistan from the rest of the world. But just three days later the internet was back, with no explanation of why.
What had happened behind the scenes was seismic, insiders said. It was thought that the Kabul group had acted against Akhundzada’s order and switched the internet back on. According to one expert, this was nothing short of rebellion for a group that doesn’t brook dissent amongst its echelons.
