The differences between the Haqqani network and the Taliban leadership are growing worse every day.
Author: Ahmad Saidi, Afghanistan and regional affairs analyst (Germany), especially for "Sangar"
Since the New York Times wrote that Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban interior minister, is ready to engage with the world, friends have raised many questions and asked what is the difference between Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Haibatullah. and what will the contradictions between them lead to.
The differences between the Haqqani network and the Taliban leadership, especially Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, concern various issues that can be divided into two main categories: political and ideological.
The factors of difference:
1 - Political and administrative differences. The Haqqani Network, which has a lot of power and influence in eastern Afghanistan, especially in the Pashtun-populated areas, wants more access to sources of power and also more influence over the decisions of the Taliban government. Meanwhile, Mullah Haibatullah is more inclined to centralized control and tends to keep a tight grip on power. The Haqqani Network, especially Sirajuddin Haqqani, tends to take a relatively more moderate approach and sometimes demands engagement with the international community.
2 - Ideological differences. The Haqqani Network has historical ties to some extremist and jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and holds extremist views, while Haibatullah is trying to present the Taliban government as a legitimate Islamic government in terms of ideology and move towards formalizing it. These differences have caused tensions between the two factions.
In addition, Sirajuddin Haqqani is in favor of opening schools for girls and has no problem with women working in offices, but Mullah Haibatullah strongly disagrees on this issue and wants his supporters to have more power in their hands.
3 - Different views on interactions with the international community. Given their position and historical ties with Pakistan, the Haqqanis are more inclined to create some kind of interaction with some neighboring countries and the international community. Meanwhile, Mullah Haibatullah is less flexible on some issues and seeks to strengthen the internal legitimacy of the Taliban government.
Possible Outcomes of the Disputes:
The differences between the Haqqani network and the Taliban leadership could have different consequences:
Internal weakness of the Taliban. These differences could reduce the Taliban's internal cohesion and force different groups to compete with each other. In the long term, this problem could lead to the weakening of the Taliban government.
Strengthening of other extremist groups. If the Taliban fails to resolve their differences, extremist groups such as ISIS will try to take advantage of the situation and expand their attacks in Afghanistan.
Increased foreign influence. Neighboring countries such as Iran, Pakistan, and even the United States and Russia may exploit these differences and try to gain more influence.
Strengthening of a particular faction. If one faction manages to gain more influence, it will likely help consolidate that faction's power.
These differences will ultimately depend on the actions and decisions of the Taliban leadership to address these issues.
