Taliban warns its fighters: We don’t want such people in our ranks

The Taliban movement stressed on Friday the need to hold accountable all those who abuse the movement of former soldiers who joined it recently.

The Taliban-affiliated defense minister criticized the misconduct of some commanders and fighters following the movement’s victory over the Western-backed government in Afghanistan last month.

These abuses will not be condoned, Mollah Mohammad Yaqoub said in an audio message, after he allowed some notorious former soldiers to join Taliban units where they have committed a series of sometimes violent abuses.

Mollah Yaqoub added: “We tell you to keep them away from your ranks, otherwise you will be dealt a severe blow. We don’t want such people in our ranks.”

This letter from a senior Taliban minister underscores the problems that Afghanistan’s new rulers sometimes face in controlling combat forces during the transition from insurgency to peacetime governance.

Last Tuesday, the Taliban announced the rest of the government’s line-up of caretakers with no female included.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid announced the nomination of 17 individuals for government posts in a decree issued by the movement’s leadership.

Mujahid said that the new positions include appointing a resident from the northeastern province of Benshair as acting minister of commerce, and appointing a deputy health minister from the Hazara minority.

Professionalism had been largely taken into account in the selection process.

The first group of nominations issued by the movement drew criticism for its lack of inclusion, as the majority were from Taliban and Pashtun leaders.

Meanwhile, two top Taliban commanders – Mollah Mohammad Ibrahim and Mollah Abdul Qayyum Zakir – were appointed as deputy interior and defense ministers.

This time, too, no women were included.

A month after the Taliban seized power, no country officially recognized it as a legitimate government in Afghanistan.

Mujahid said that the international community and countries in the region should restore diplomatic relations with the new Afghan government, and he hoped this would happen in the near future.