Split Confirmed In Afghan National Movement For Peace & Justice
Hanif Atmar, a member of the leadership council of the Afghanistan National Movement for Peace and Justice, has confirmed a split within the political group.
Hanif Atmar, a member of the leadership council of the Afghanistan National Movement for Peace and Justice, has confirmed a split within the political group.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the movement said five of its 17 leadership council members opposed provisions of the organisation’s charter and decided to separate from the group.
The statement said several leadership council members and some ordinary members disagreed with the movement’s strategy of pursuing a political solution and building national consensus.
It added that the leadership council had held hours of discussions in recent weeks in an effort to uphold the charter’s objectives and preserve unity within the organisation.
According to the statement, a majority of the founding council and members voted to continue pursuing the two strategies.
Last week, a statement circulated in the movement’s name expressing support for armed struggle against the Taliban. The National Movement for Peace and Justice later described that statement as fabricated.
The group said it believes a lasting and fundamental solution to Afghanistan’s complex crises lies within the framework of a political settlement. Such a solution, it said, should include a guaranteed intra-Afghan agreement and an accord between Afghanistan and the international community to establish a legitimate political system, strengthen security and achieve durable peace.
The anti-Taliban political movement stressed that the first step toward this goal is building consensus and unity among political forces. According to the statement, several members who opposed this core strategy and policy have now left the movement.
The movement was founded in late 2022 by several former Afghan government officials. Prominent members include Atmar, a former foreign minister, and Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, who previously led the former government’s negotiating team.
