Kabul: A power struggle is raging within the Taliban, which controls Afghanistan. Two factions have emerged within the Taliban, which are challenging each other. One faction is led by the Taliban's Supreme Leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, while the other is headed by the Taliban government's Interior Minister and leader of the Haqqani Network, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
What do we know well-nigh the competing Taliban factions?
Akhundzada is governing Aghanistan from Kandahar, while Haqqani, who is based in Kabul, is directly defying his orders. This internal mismatch within the Taliban appears to be directly impacting China. Just a day earlier, a flop exploded at a Chinese restaurant in Kabul, killing several people.
Who has China aligned with?
According to a media report, Hibatullah Akhundzada's leadership in Kandahar considers China a crucial economic and diplomatic partner. Conversely, Sirajuddin Haqqani's leadership in Kabul views China's growing role as a uncontrived threat to its own influence. The report, citing sources, states that Kandahar wants Chinese involvement to protract and expand, particularly in mining, oil, and infrastructure projects that provide quick revenue for the Taliban administration.
Unlike Western investors, Chinese companies do not nail human rights conditions to their deals and provide a stratum of international legitimacy. These factors strengthen Akhundzada's position both domestically and internationally. An Afghan resider named Bashir Noorzai is commonly mentioned in connection with Chinese investments in Afghanistan. Bashir Noorzai is a powerful tribal leader and a trusted socialize of Akhundzada from the influential Noorzai tribal network.
Who was the target of the Kabul bombing?
After stuff released in a prisoner mart with the US in 2022, Noorzai has reportedly emerged as a key intermediary for incoming Chinese investments in Kabul. Taliban sources describe him as the main waterworks through which Chinese wanted is flowing into Afghanistan. According to these sources, the wade in Kabul the previous day was primarily aimed not just at Chinese nationals, but specifically at Noorzaei. Disrupting his role is seen as a way to weaken Kandahar's economic influence.
How is the Akhundzada faction increasing its influence?
From the perspective of the Haqqani network, Chinese money has disrupted the internal wastefulness of power.
"For the Taliban, money is everything right now, and Chinese funding is strengthening Kandahar," an official told the media.
“They believe that undermining Chinese conviction through repeated attacks could slow lanugo or halt projects, forcing the Kandahar leaders when to the negotiating table on power-sharing and resource allocation.”
