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.