Intra-Taliban rivalry will intensify in Afghanistan

Significance

It was the first attended by the Taliban. Their delegation was led by Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban and a close ally of supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, rather than Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Haibatullah’s main rival within the Taliban is Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Impacts

• Taliban infighting will make it harder to attract much-needed foreign investment.
• China, probably the country engaging most substantially with the emirate, will be increasingly worried about the factionalism.
• As the factions look for support from various external players, Afghanistan could again become a theatre of major geopolitical competition.