Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General’s quarterly report to the Security Council reveals structural disagreements among Taliban leaders.
On Thursday, June 19, 2025, Guterres highlighted the two-month absence of Sirajuddin Haqqani, Taliban’s Interior Minister, noting that these disagreements with the Taliban leader were over girls’ education.
However, he clarified that these conflicts do not pose a threat to the Taliban regime, and Haqqani has since returned to his duties.
The report mentions that Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, emphasized renewed public allegiance to himself during Eid celebrations and rejected democratic systems.
The UN Secretary-General also addressed the Taliban’s promotion and prevention of vice law, which has cut off women’s access to society, education, and healthcare services.
Guterres added that the Taliban have not announced the fiscal year budget, resulting in staff reductions and delays in government employee salary payments, particularly in education, security, and health sectors.
The report, covering events from February through April 2025, also states: “Taliban officials continued to appoint and reassign individuals loyal to the group, all men, to leadership positions.
” Previously, the Taliban had requested that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan highlight the group’s “achievements” in its report.
