Taliban cohesion strained by competing interests
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Significance
While the international community is calling for a genuinely inclusive government as a precondition for recognition, the Taliban have yet to resolve questions about power-sharing among themselves.
Impacts
- Although some countries including China have handed control of Afghan embassies to the Taliban, diplomatic recognition is postponed.
- Failure to contain power struggles could prompt defections to other groups such as Islamic State.
- The Taliban's accommodative approach to Iran is evident in a pledge to address concerns about inadequate water flows from the Helmand River.