Sarah Adams, a former officer with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), says Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada’s call for obedience from his fighters and supporters comes amid deepening internal divisions over power and influence, particularly regarding control of the northern provinces.
Writing on the social media platform X about Akhundzada’s recent speech, Adams said he referred to his recent visit to Kandahar and expressed satisfaction with the reception he received from the people and Taliban fighters. According to Adams, Akhundzada told his supporters: “You are my army, you are my soldiers, and you are my children.”
She said Akhundzada subsequently raised the issue of “obedience,” emphasizing that obedience to him is essential for preserving and maintaining the Taliban’s system.
Adams said the timing of the message is significant because, for several months, Mullah Jumma Khan Fateh, an influential Tajik Taliban commander in Badakhshan, had resisted the expansion of the presence and influence of Kandahari Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan.
According to Adams, the dispute escalated into a serious confrontation last week when Akhundzada sent trusted commanders and special forces from the south to Badakhshan to rein in Fateh. She claims that the forces were led by Mullah Abdul Ahmad Talib, the police chief of Kandahar and commander of Akhundzada’s special protection forces.
She said Kandahar’s direct involvement indicates that Akhundzada did not rely solely on Taliban forces already stationed in the north, but instead dispatched troops and commanders from his southern stronghold to Badakhshan.
According to Adams, Mullah Jumma Khan Fateh agreed to surrender on August 16 following talks with Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban Defense Ministry’s chief of staff. She claims that Fitrat assured Fateh that his demands and conditions would be reviewed and that the Kandahari Taliban and special forces under the command of Mullah Abdul Ahmad Talib would withdraw from Badakhshan.
However, Adams said that after Fateh surrendered and his fighters were disarmed, he was arrested. She said that instead of the agreed arrangement to escort him away, Fateh was detained. According to Adams’ latest information, Fateh is being transferred to Kandahar and could face a military trial there.
Adams emphasized that Fateh’s arrest does not resolve the underlying cause of the dispute within the Taliban. According to her, Akhundzada intends to permanently deploy a roughly 400-member special operations force loyal to the Kandahari leadership in Badakhshan, which may operate under the command of the Taliban’s special brigade in Panjshir.
She also said there is another plan to alter the composition of Taliban personnel and officials, under which non-Pashtun officials—particularly Tajik Taliban officials—would be transferred from Badakhshan to southern Afghanistan, while southern Taliban officials loyal to Akhundzada would be sent to Badakhshan in their place.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
