Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will head Afghanistan’s new government, which could soon be announced, Reuters reported. The agency cites sources within the Islamist group. The Taliban continue to fight militant groups in an effort to stave off an economic collapse.
In addition to Baradar, who heads the Taliban’s political bureau, the government will include Mullah Mohammad Yakub, son of the late Taliban founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, sources told Reuters. “All the high-ranking leaders have arrived in Kabul, where preparations for the announcement of a new government are in their final stages,” a Taliban spokesman said on condition of anonymity.
What You Need To Know About Abdul Ghani Baradar— The Taliban Leader Poised To Lead Afghanistan’s New Government https://t.co/NCYGHMfFu8 pic.twitter.com/Mq9XdWxuXx
— Forbes (@Forbes) September 3, 2021
The Taliban, who captured Kabul on August 15 after taking over most of the country, faced resistance in the Panjshir Valley, north of the capital. Heavy fighting and casualties were reported. Several thousand fighters from regional militias and parts of the former government forces gathered in a remote valley under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud, the son of the former commander of the mujahideen, Ahmad Shah Massoud. Negotiation efforts to find a solution to the conflict seem to have been unsuccessful, with both sides blaming each other.
For international donors and investors, the emergence of a legitimate government is critical to addressing issues such as drought and devastating conflict, which is estimated at 240,000 Afghans. Aid organizations have warned that a humanitarian catastrophe threatens the country and that the economy, long dependent on foreign aid, is close to collapse.