Some presumed him dead, others said he was in hiding in Pakistan or living underground in Kandahar: The mysterious Supreme Leader of the Taliban, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, has appeared in public for the first time since his appointment in 2016.
“The commander of the believers, Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, appeared before a large congregation at the famous Darul Uloom Hakimah madrasah and spoke for 10 minutes with his brave soldiers and disciples,” the Taliban government said in a message accompanying a record of Audio.
In the audio published on the Taliban networks, it is clearly heard when the mullah recites prayers and blessings. According to a local source, the supreme leader of the Taliban arrived at the Koranic school in Kandahar accompanied by a convoy of two vehicles. In his speech, Akhundzada makes no political comments and asks for God’s blessing on the Taliban leadership.
The event in Kandahar was held under strong security measures and the release of photos or videos was not allowed, although the Taliban digital media shared the 10-minute audio.
He also prays for the martyrs of the movement, the wounded fighters and the success of the Islamic Emirate officials in this “great test.” “May God reward the people of Afghanistan who fought against the infidels and oppression for 20 years,” the religious leader also declared in his speech.
After a rapid military campaign, accelerated by the announcement of the withdrawal of the United States troops from the country, the Taliban returned to power last August, from which they had been ousted in 2001 by a collision led by Washington.
With the exception of his rare annual messages for Islamic holidays, the highest Taliban leader has maintained the greatest possible discretion over his life.
Until the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in August, no one knew where he was or if he was still alive. A single photograph of him, with a beard and a turban, has been distributed by the Taliban.
Akhundzada was appointed leader of the Taliban in a rapid transition of command after a US drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in 2016.
Until then he was a relatively unknown figure and participated more in religious and legal affairs than in military maneuvers.
Once in power, Akhundzada quickly gained the loyalty of the Egyptian Ayman al Zawahiri, leader of Al Qaeda, who appointed him “emir of the believers”, reinforcing his credibility in the jihadist and Sunni universe.
In his role as supreme leader, Akhundzada is responsible for maintaining unity among the Taliban, a complex mission given the infighting that has fractured the radical Islamist movement.
The Taliban announced last September that their supreme leader had been living “from the beginning” of the return to power in Kandahar and that he would appear “soon in public”.
“We have regular meetings with him about controlling the situation in Afghanistan and how to run our government,” Mullah Yusef Wafa, governor of Kandahar, said on Wednesday.
“He gives advice to all the leaders of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and we follow his rules, his advice, and if we have a government that progresses, it is thanks to him,” he added.
A “seminar”, which brings together senior Taliban officials in a secret place for several days, is organized for several days in Kandahar, an AFP journalist noted.
