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Akhundzada has been the non secular chief of the Islamist motion since 2016 however has remained a reclusive determine, even after the Taliban seized energy in Afghanistan.
His low profile has fed hypothesis about his position within the new Taliban authorities, shaped after the group took management of Kabul in mid-August — and even rumours of his loss of life.
On Saturday, he visited the Darul Uloom Hakimah madrassa to “converse to his courageous troopers and disciples”, in accordance with the introduction to an audio recording circulated by Taliban social media accounts.
“Might God reward the oppressed individuals of Afghanistan who fought the infidels and the oppressors for 20 years,” Akhundzada mentioned, within the recording. “My intention right here is to wish for you and also you pray for me”.
Within the 10-minute recording, he prays for the Taliban martyrs, wounded fighters and the success of officers concerned within the “massive take a look at” of rebuilding what they name the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
“Let’s pray that we come out of this massive take a look at efficiently. Might Allah assist us keep sturdy,” he mentioned.
There was tight safety on the occasion and no pictures or video have emerged.
Akhundzada is known as “Amirul Momineen”, commander of the trustworthy, the rank conferred on the late Taliban founder Mullah Omar by his supporters.
Akhundzada is assumed to have been chosen to serve extra as a non secular figurehead than a navy commander, however his unusually public statements will gasoline hypothesis that he now plans to take a extra central position in main the brand new authorities.
— Unifying determine — Akhundzada rose from low-profile spiritual determine to chief of the Taliban in a swift transition of energy after a 2016 US drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
After being appointed chief, he secured the backing of Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, who showered the cleric with reward — calling him “the emir of the trustworthy”.
This endorsement by Osama bin Laden’s inheritor helped seal his jihadist credentials with the Taliban’s long-time allies.
Akhundzada was tasked with unifying a Taliban motion that briefly fractured throughout the bitter energy wrestle after Akhtar’s assassination, and the revelation that the management had hidden the loss of life of their founder Mullah Omar for years.
His public profile has largely been restricted to the discharge of messages throughout Islamic holidays, and Akhundzada is believed to spend most of his time in Kandahar, the primary metropolis within the Taliban’s southern Afghan heartland.
His final message was on September 7, when he informed the newly appointed Taliban authorities in Kabul to uphold sharia legislation as they govern Afghanistan.
Final week, Mullah Yussef Wafa, the Taliban governor of Kandahar and a detailed ally of Akhundzada, informed AFP he was in common contact along with his mysterious chief.
“We’ve got common conferences with him concerning the management of the scenario in Afghanistan and easy methods to make a very good authorities,” he mentioned in an interview.
“As he’s our trainer, and everybody’s trainer, we try to study one thing from him,” he added.
“He provides recommendation to each chief of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and we’re following his guidelines, recommendation, and if we now have a progressive authorities sooner or later it is due to his recommendation.”
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