The Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, yesterday announced the composition of what was labeled an “interim government.” All appear to be associates of Taliban founder, Mullah Omar. Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund is appointed as the Prime Minister of the country; Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be his Deputy, and Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi is his second Deputy. Amir Khan Mottaqi became the new Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, while Mullah Yaqoob, the son of Mullah Omar, became the new Defense Minister. Sirajuddin Haqqani was appointed as the Minister of the Interior, while the Ministry of Culture and Information will be led by Mujahid himself. Mawlawi Noorullah Munir was appointed as the Minister of Education, Mohammad Hanif became the Minister of Economy, and Mullah Mohammad Idris was appointed the new Central Bank head. The new Minister of Culture and Information will be Zabihullah Mujahid.
China and Russia have both expressed concern about the “inclusiveness” of the government and the commitment to fight terrorism. Speaking to the media on Sept. 7, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “You know that no decisions to recognize the Taliban have been made so far. Also, you know that we are keeping a close watch on what is happening there. What is most important, we are trying to understand to what extent the Taliban’s promises and statements will correlate with their future actions.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated: “Recently, the Taliban have made positive statements on issues such as governance, anti-terrorism, and friendly neighbors. We welcome this. The key must be implemented in specific actions.”
