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Leaked audio reveals Taliban leader's fear of internal division
A recording obtained by the BBC exposes Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada's warning that infighting among "insiders in the government" could destroy the Islamic Emirate. The speech, delivered in January 2025 at a Kandahar madrassa, contradicts the group's long-standing claims of unity.
Two factions emerge within Taliban leadership
A year-long BBC investigation, drawing on over 100 interviews with current and former Taliban members, diplomats, and experts, has mapped a split between two rival factions at the highest levels of the movement.
The first, led by Akhundzada from Kandahar, advocates for an isolated, hardline Islamic state governed by religious clerics. The second, based in Kabul and informally led by Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar, pushes for limited engagement with the outside world, economic development, and expanded rights for women-including access to education beyond primary school.
One insider described the divide as "the Kandahar house versus Kabul."
Internet shutdown sparks unprecedented rebellion
The simmering tensions erupted in late September 2025 when Akhundzada ordered a nationwide internet blackout, citing religious concerns. Within three days, the Kabul faction defied the directive, restoring connectivity-a move an expert called "nothing short of a rebellion."
Sources told the BBC that Baradar, Haqqani, and other senior ministers pressured Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund to reverse the order, arguing that modern governance and commerce depended on digital access. The incident marked the first time the Kabul group openly challenged Akhundzada's authority.
Akhundzada consolidates power, sidelines rivals
Since retaking control of Afghanistan in 2021, Akhundzada has systematically centralized power in Kandahar, demoting former deputies like Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid to ministerial roles. He has also bypassed Kabul-based officials, issuing direct orders to local police and security forces.
"From the outset, [Akhundzada] sought to form his own strong faction," a former Taliban member told the BBC. "Once he gained power, he expanded his circle using his authority."
His rigid interpretation of Islam has led to edicts banning girls' education and women's work, which the UN has identified as a key source of tension with the Kabul faction. Akhundzada's worldview is shaped by his belief in divine accountability, with one official quoting him as saying, "I'm accountable to Allah on judgment day."
Kabul faction rebrands, but risks remain
The Kabul group, while still hardline, has sought to project a more pragmatic image. Haqqani, once a wanted militant with a $10 million U.S. bounty, now appears publicly and has been described by the New York Times as Afghanistan's "best hope for change." The FBI quietly dropped its bounty on him in 2024.
However, analysts say open defiance of Akhundzada remains unlikely. "Obedience to [Akhundzada] is considered mandatory," one former Taliban member emphasized. Even after the internet dispute, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied any rift, calling internal disagreements "a difference of opinion in a family."
What's next for Afghanistan?
Recent speeches by Haqqani and a Kandahar loyalist in December 2025 underscored the persistent divide. While Haqqani warned leaders against betraying public trust, the hardline education minister Neda Mohammad Nadem declared, "Only one person leads and the rest follow orders."
Experts remain skeptical that the Kabul faction will translate words into action. "The question remains: will words ever lead to action?" one analyst said. "They haven't yet."
"We will never allow ourselves to be divided. All officials know that a split can be harmful for Afghanistan, religiously prohibited and forbidden by Allah."
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman
