The Taliban has appointed the members of its transitional Cabinet, put in place to govern Afghanistan while a permanent government is assigned, made up primarily of men who played prominent roles in the religious extremist group’s fight against the United States, the Associated Press reports.
The third Supreme Leader of the Taliban, Mullah Hasan Akhund, also known as Hibatullah Akhundzada, will be interim Prime Minister of Afghanistan. Prior to ascending to the top position in the Taliban, Akhund was the religious leader of the group, serving as Chief Justice of Sharia Courts.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban leader whom Donald Trump’s administration insisted on being released from a Pakistani prison so he could negotiate with the United States for an Afghanistan truce, will serve as one of two deputy prime minister.
The Afghan Cabinet does not initially have any non-Taliban members in it, nor does it have any women. Those two omissions will harm the likelihood that the international community will recognize the government.
No date has been set for elections in Afghanistan, and the Taliban have not yet announced how long the interim government will serve.