Ex-Taliban leader’s family declares support for new leader Mansour

Mullah Omar’s brothe and eldest son have declared their support for Mullah Mansour’s leadership in a gathering of senior Taliban officials.

Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, Taliban militants' new leader, is seen in this undated handout photograph. The family of ex-leader Mullar Omar has accepted Mullah Mansour as the new Taliban leader. TaShow more

PESHAWAR // Relatives of the Taliban’s late leader, Mullah Omar, have pledged support for his appointed successor Mullah Mansour.

The Afghan Taliban said on Wednesday that the major dispute undermining the movement has been resolved, and posted a statement on their website announcing that Mullah Omar’s brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, and eldest son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, have declared their support for Mullah Mansour’s leadership in a gathering of senior Taliban officials.

As part of the deal, Mullah Mansour’s faction say they will protect Omar’s family from any retaliation by Mansour’s rivals.

While many important Taliban figures still oppose Mansour, the deal reinforces his leadership. It also paves the way for the Taliban to avoid rupturing at a time when ISIL is seeking to expand its influence in the region, raising hopes that stalled peace talks with the Afghan government may resume.

Both Mullah Mansour and his opponents had sought the backing of Omar’s family in order to strengthen their claims to the leadership. Mullah Mansour will also reach out to senior Afghan Taliban who opposed him or had doubts over his appointment, a Taliban member close to the Mullah said. Many important Taliban figures, including those in the political office in Qatar, have yet to publicly endorse him.

Omar’s relatives could not be contacted directly, but a close aide to Omar’s son confirmed an agreement had been celebrated at a secret ceremony after Mullah Mansour accepted eight demands.

The conditions included restructuring the leadership council – its head will be chosen from Omar’s family – and ruling by consensus.

“Mullah Mansour accepted all these demands,” the aide said, asking not to be named.

The Taliban’s official spokesman, representing Mullah Mansour, confirmed that the changes would be implemented.

“Mullah Mansour and his associates promised them that only the Shura [leadership council] would have the power to make decisions, rather than individuals,” the spokesman said.

“We intend to protect and keep this movement united,” the Taliban said on its website, which is controlled by Mullah Mansour’s supporters.

It quoted Omar’s younger brother, Mullah Abdul Manan, and the founder’s son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, as declaring their intention to support Mullah Mansour.

“Both of them said the Islamic Emirate is their collective home where all of them would like to work together,” the statement added.

In July, Afghan intelligence leaked the news of Omar's death, more than two years after his demise, derailing a fledging peace process with Kabul and raising the spectre of a split within the group that is fighting to topple the Afghan government and restore hardline militant rule.

Omar’s longtime deputy Mullah Mansour was swiftly appointed his successor.

Many Taliban members were unhappy with Mullah Mansour’s appointment, because he had concealed news of Omar’s death and orchestrated his own rapid promotion. They also worried that he was too beholden to Pakistan.

Afghanistan frequently accuses Pakistan of supporting the Afghan Taliban by providing safe havens and other aid, accusations the Pakistanis deny.

Should Mansour be able to consolidate his position, he might restart stalled peace talks with the Afghan government, said Saifullah Mahsud of Islamabad-based think-thank Fata Research Centre. The talks began in July but stalled after news of Omar’s death leaked.

The talks are backed by Pakistan. But many Afghan Taliban are suspicious of the process and fear Pakistan wants to exploit their insurgency to increase its own regional influence.

* Reuters