The Taliban announced senior members of their government on Tuesday, in a move that will stabilize their power in Afghanistan and set the tone for their government's decision just days after the withdrawal of a large U.S. military force.
On Tuesday evening, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a media briefing that the new government would be interim, and that Taliban veteran Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund would act as the new acting prime minister.
He has served as deputy foreign minister under the former Taliban regime, and is on the UN list.
Mujahid also said that one of the founders of the Taliban, Abdul Ghani Baradar, would be the deputy leader. He previously served as head of the political office of his organization, overseeing the 2020 signing of the U.S. withdrawal agreement.
Reviving Afghanistan Crisis | September 7, 2021
Mullah Yaqoob, the son of the founding Taliban founder and the late great leader Mullah Omar, was appointed Minister of Defense, and the position of Interior Minister was given to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the feared Haqqani network, who also doubled as a Taliban deputy leader.
"The cabinet is not complete, it just works," Mujahid said. "We will try to take people from other parts of the country."
It was not clear what role the government would play in the role of Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, a Taliban leader, who has not been seen or heard in public since the collapse of the Western-backed government and the takeover of the Kabul by the Taliban last month.
After their 20-year insurgency, the Taliban now face a daunting task of ruling Afghanistan, embroiled in economic woes and security challenges - including the local chapter of the Islamic State group.
Scattered protests in recent days have revealed that some Afghans are skeptical of the Taliban's ability to turn their promise of a more restrictive law into reality.
The nomination of a number of nominees from various structures of the radical Islamic organization showed nothing in line with the protests.
The Taliban have repeatedly tried to reassure Afghans and foreigners that they will not return to the brutality of their last state over the past two decades, which has been marked by violent punishments and the banning of women and girls in public life.
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