Taliban on Tuesday announced 11 new appointments, ranging from deputy minister level to deputy governor and commanders of Taliban-run army corps, but none of these are new appointments and all include replacement of Taliban figures from one post to another.
The Taliban appointments include two deputy ministers, one governor, three deputy governors, three corps commanders, one district governor and two heads of departments.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the appointments were made based on Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada’s decree.
The decree shows Mohammad Zarif Muzaffar, Taliba deputy minister of defense, has been appointed governor of Sar-e-Pul province in the north.
Based on the decree, Muzaffar has been replaced by Abdullah Bashir, former Taliban district governor of Spin Boldak in Kandahar.
In addition, Mohammad Ismail Faiz has been appointed as Taliban’s deputy minister of housing and urban development.
Sulaiman Agha Bahir, Taliban’s former district governor of Andar in Ghazni province, has been appointed Taliban deputy governor of Nimroz.
Abdullah Hamad, Taliban’s former chief of staff for the Badar unit in the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence, has been appointed Taliban’s deputy governor of Ghazni.
Moreover, Sayed Agha, former head of the Taliban’s military court in Ghazni, has been appointed Taliba’s head of ideological and virtue promotion in Taliban-run Ministry of Defense.
Abdul Rahman Aqa, Taliban’s former governor of Sar-e-Pul, has been appointed commander of the second brigade of the Taliban’s 209 Al-Fath corps.
Furthermore, Mohammad Nasim Zarqawi, former commander of the second brigade of the Taliban’s 205 Al-Badr corps, has been appointed commander of the third infantry brigade of the same corps.
Mohammad Nasim Izzat, former procurement officer of the Taliban’s 205 Al-Badr corps, has been appointed commander of the second infantry brigade of the corps.
Ghulam Rasul, former head of the third battalion of the first infantry brigade of the Taliban’s 205 Al-Badr corps, has been named chief of staff of the second infantry brigade.
And Rahimullah Mahmoud, Taliban’s former deputy governor of Ghazni, has been appointed district governor of Spin Boldak in Kandahar.
A report by Amu shows that in nine months Taliban appointments to public and military institutions have dominantly involved transferring existing officials to new roles, with few new faces in key positions. But all appointments have included Taliban members.
Taliban held a “national labor conference” on the same day when the decree announced. At the event, they vowed to create jobs but the new decree shows only Taliban figures are appointment to key government positions.
