Part of Taliban opposes Mullah Akhtar Mansour leadership; Calling for a new leader

Some of Taliban members are saying that they do not accept the leadership of Mullah Muhammad Akhtar Mansour and calling for a new leader (Amir).

Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, who has reportedly been appointed leader of the Taliban, was Mullah Omar’s number two.

The man chosen, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, had long been the de facto leader of the insurgent movement, leading its powerful Quetta Shura.

He served as aviation minister in the Taliban government that led Afghanistan from 1996 to the 2001 US invasion, and became deputy leader of the Taliban when Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured in Karachi in 2010 by a joint operation between the CIA and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

However, his appointment – announced by unnamed Taliban figures after a meeting of the shura – will almost certainly be disputed by other commanders who were still digesting details of their supreme leader’s death. In a fractious movement long held together by oaths of allegiance to Mullah Omar, analysts believe it could promote a new round of splits and internal warfare.

Afghan analysts say that the Afghan government can use this division of Taliban and is a great opportunity for Afghanistan but if does not attempts it will lead to the strengthening of terrorist forces.

The new Taliban leader is broadly considered a pragmatist who has been a leading proponent of peace talks, although he is thought to be sceptical of the latest Pakistani-sponsored round.

Like Mullah Omar, he draws his political base from around Kandahar, considered the cradle of the Taliban. He comes from the Durrani line of the Pashtun tribe, a group that comprises much of the fighting force around the city.

Also like Mullah Omar he studied at the Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, outside Peshawar, across the border in Pakistan.

And like Mullah Omar few other biographical details – or photographs – exist.

The opposed part of Taliban have called for holding a court and appointment of a new leader.

“Mullah Muhammad Akhtar Mansour has not the ability and merit to be Taliban’s leader. There are disputes over his leadership between us,” part of Taliban’s declaration reads.

The divisions threaten a formal split in the Taliban. They also provide an opening to rival Islamic State (IS), the Middle East-based extremist movement that has attracted renegade Taliban commanders in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Opponents of Mansour criticize him for being too close to Pakistan’s military, which has long been accused of supporting the Afghan insurgency to maintain regional influence.

Pakistan has pushed Taliban leaders based in its territory hard to come to the negotiating table at the request of ally China and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Despite the opposition, Mansour retains a personal power base within the Taliban, and if he can keep the movement together it could lead to a new era for the insurgents.