“Financier of Taliban Bomb-Making" Appointed as Central Bank Chief
The Taliban leader has appointed Noor Ahmad Agha, a military commander of the group, as the governor of Afghanistan's central bank.
The Taliban leader has appointed Noor Ahmad Agha, a military commander of the group, as the governor of Afghanistan's central bank.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Noor Ahmad Agha was known as the "financier of bomb-making" and was responsible for distributing funds to Taliban military commanders during the insurgency against Afghan state and international forces.
The United States has designated Noor Ahmad Agha as an "international terrorist." Previously, he served as the deputy governor of the Taliban-controlled central bank of Afghanistan.
On Saturday, a Taliban spokesperson announced that the group's leader has appointed Hidayatullah Badri, the current governor of the central bank, as the acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum.
Both military commanders, Agha and Badri, are under sanctions by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations.
In 2005, Hidayatullah Badri was responsible for providing military supplies and equipment to the Taliban in the southwestern region. According to the US Department of the Treasury, in 2006, Badri was in charge of collecting "donations" for suicide bombers and funding their families in Balochistan, Pakistan. Before his role in the central bank, Badri served as the Taliban's Minister of Finance.
Badri's appointment to the Ministry of Mines comes as the ministry has gained significance due to numerous mining contracts signed with foreign companies. Shahabuddin Delawar, the former Minister of Mines accused of financial and administrative corruption, has been appointed as the head of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
Following the Taliban's rise to power, the United States froze Afghanistan's central bank assets. Additionally, Afghanistan's banking system has been sanctioned, and official financial transactions with Afghanistan have ceased.
Adam Smith, a specialist in economic sanctions compliance, previously told the Wall Street Journal that the presence of Noor Ahmad Agha in the central bank would make international engagement with the bank much more difficult. He noted that this appointment increases risks and complicates the situation further.
Last year, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction reported to Congress that the Taliban-controlled central bank lacks "adequate measures" against money laundering and "terrorism financing."
These appointments occur as the Taliban, during the third Doha meeting, called for the lifting of sanctions on their financial and economic systems. However, the United Nations and the United States have stressed that the lifting of sanctions is directly linked to adherence to human rights and the protection of women's rights.
Taliban officials have expressed concerns that sanctions on the financial and banking system have affected the provision of humanitarian aid. However, the United States has rejected this claim, stating that private banks and international institutions have complete freedom to provide humanitarian aid.
