Mullah Omar's Family: We Have Not Pledged Allegiance to the New Taliban Leader

In an audio statement accessed by news agencies, the family of the late Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, whose death has been confirmed by both the group and the Afghan government, states that they have not pledged allegiance to a new leader. Reuters reports that the family of Mohammad Omar (Mullah Omar) called for the election of a new leader based on the votes and opinions of 'scholars' and veteran members and founders of the group on August 2. Earlier, two senior Taliban officials had stated that Akhtar Mohammad Mansour (Mullah Mansour) was chosen as the new leader of the group. Mullah Mansour had been Mullah Omar's deputy in recent years. The leadership introduced by some Taliban members has repeatedly called for 'unity' among the group's members in his first message. However, reports indicate divisions within the Taliban, which the statement from Mullah Omar's family seems to confirm. Additionally, there are reports of competition between Akhtar Mohammad Mansour and others like Yaqub, Mullah Omar's son. In the newly released statement, Mullah Omar's younger brother emphasized that throughout his life, he had always stressed the necessity of unity among 'mujahideen.' Although the statement does not directly mention Mansour, it states that the new leader should be elected based on the votes of 'scholars' and 'those mujahideen who played a role in establishing the Afghan Emirate.' The Afghan Emirate is the government that the Taliban established before being overthrown by the United States and its allies in Afghanistan. According to Reuters, although it seems that the Omar family members do not have an official influence on the selection of his successor, their 'credibility' within the group could be impactful. Last Wednesday, Abdul Hasib Siddiqi, spokesperson for the Afghan National Security Directorate, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Afghan service that Mullah Mohammad Omar passed away in April 2013 in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. In this context, the Afghan presidential office confirmed the news of Mullah Mohammad Omar's death, and the Taliban group also confirmed it.