Afghan political leaders marked the 24th anniversary of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s assassination with a virtual memorial on Tuesday, cautioning that disunity among Taliban opponents could fatally weaken resistance efforts.
Ahmad Massoud, son of the slain commander and leader of the National Resistance Front, warned that internal rivalries only serve the Taliban’s interests. “The enemy succeeds when opposition groups fight one another,” he said, stressing the need for a united “battle of narratives” to counter the Taliban’s propaganda.
Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, head of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, vowed to fight until the Taliban regime is overthrown. “To die in bed is a disgrace for me,” he declared.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Islamic Unity Party, echoed calls for unity, urging political factions to embrace one another. Former Vice President Sarwar Danish cautioned that without serious reflection, Afghanistan risks repeating the post-Mujahideen chaos that followed the 2001 Bonn Conference.
Former Interior Minister Mohammad Omar Daudzai said Ahmad Shah Massoud’s stature has only grown with time, while also condemning Taliban activists for online insults that violate Afghan cultural values.
Massoud closed with a vow: “We are bound to fight for freedom. No tyranny lasts forever, and the Taliban’s brutality will also come to an end.”
