Muhammad Yousuf Wafa
Muhammad Yousuf Wafa | |
|---|---|
حاجي محمد یوسف وفا | |
| Governor of Balkh | |
| Assumed office March 2023 | |
| Supreme Leader | Hibatullah Akhundzada |
| Preceded by | Daud Muzamil |
| Governor of Kandahar | |
| In office August 2021 – March 2023 | |
| Supreme Leader | Hibatullah Akhundzada |
| Preceded by | Rohullah Khanzada |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Afghan (Nurzai Pashtun) |
Haji Mohammad Yousuf Wafa (Pashto: حاجي محمد یوسف وفا) is an Afghan Taliban leader who is currently serving as the provincial governor of Afghanistan's northern Balkh Province.
Tribal affiliation
[edit]Wafa is a Durrani Pashtun belonging to the Nurzai (var. Noorzai) tribe of the Panjpai tribal confederation.[a] The Nurzai and greater Durrani Pashtuns are historically rooted in southeastern Afghanistan, namely Kandahar where the throne of the Durrani Empire was established in 1747.
Relationship with the supreme leader
[edit]Wafa reportedly maintains a close relationship with the reclusive supreme leader of Afghanistan, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada as fellow Nurzai tribesmen.[1][2][3] Wafa reportedly acted as a gatekeeper to Akhundzada, meeting with individuals before allowing them to visit the supreme leader.[4]
Wafa was named to be among the Kandahari hardliner faction along with Akhundzada, Hajj minister Nur Muhammad Saqib, Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, and Director of Science Farid. The Kandahari faction appeared to favor strictly conservative policies in line with the 1994–2001 Taliban regime and opposed reform measures tied to increased international recognition. The opposite faction, called the Qatar group for its role in the Doha Accords negotiations, is reported to consist of Abdul Kabir, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Ghani Baradar, Muttaqui, and Mullah Yaqoob and favors the social and human rights reforms asked by foreign nations to being talks of diplomatic recognition.[5]
Career
[edit]Battle of Kandahar
[edit]After NATO forces had largely withdrawn from Kandahar as part of the larger summer 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Taliban troops fought a month-long battle against remaining Afghan National Army (ANA) forces of the collapsing Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, backed by U.S. Air Force close air support. Though key Afghan government officials and military personnel were evacuated through Kandahar Airport, Taliban forces led by Wafa captured the provincial capital, Kandahar City, and Wafa (service as Taliban shadow governor) accepted the surrender of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's provincial governor, Rohullah Khanzada.
Provincial Governor of Kandahar
[edit]Following the August 2021 Talban capture of Afghanistan, Wafa was appointed by Afghanistan's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, to serve as the first provincial governor of Kandahar in the new Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan government.[3] Kandahar continues to represent both current and historical significance to the Taliban movement as its traditional base of power and the de facto capital of the post-2021 Taliban government.[6][7]
While serving as Kandahar's provincial governor, Wafa held a meeting with businessmen from the Hong-Kong-based Chinese firm CITIC Limited where he solicited Chinese investment in Kandahar Province.[8] Other meetings convened and advertised by Wafa's office include a meeting with religious ulema to discuss the state of the ummah and a meeting with Save the Children General Manager Christo Parnimandi.[9] In September 2021, Wafa was photographed joining a group of municipal staff to sweep the streets of Kandahar[10] and, in the same month, reportedly gathered the city's begging women to provide them food and a monetary stipend.[11]
Islamic State
[edit]The Islamic State's Khorasan Province conducted only one attack in Kandahar during Wafa's tenure. On 15 October 2021, four ISIS–K suicide bombers entered and conducted successive bombings in the Shia Imam Bargah Mosque (also known as the Fatima Mosque), killing at least 65 worshippers and wounding more than 70 others.[12][13] The bombing occurred only one week after a similar Shia mosque bombing in Kunduz, after which the Taliban government promised additional security at Shia mosques.[14][15]
Provincial Governor of Balkh
[edit]In March 2023, the provincial governor of Balkh Province, Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil, was killed in a suicide bombing by the Islamic State' Khorasan Province (ISIS–K).[16][17] Shortly after, Wafa's spokesperson Haji Zaid announced that Wafa would serve as acting governor of Balkh Province in the meantime.[18][19]
While governor, Wafa met with the president of the ICRC and diplomats from six other nations in December 2023 where he was quoted as saying "Despite the fact that security prevails in Afghanistan, corruption has been eliminated and the fight against narcotics has been carried out, the world still does not want to interact with the Islamic Emirate." Wafa also asked the attending diplomats to share word of Afghanistan's success.[20]
While governor, Wafa reportedly provided 100,000 AFN (approximately $1,400 USD) in cash to a resident who had sold his household goods out of poverty.[21]
In April 2024, Wafa joined Uzbek deputy foreign minister Erkin Khamraev to oversee the delivery of 169 tonnes of food aid from Uzbekistan to alleviate the high rates of starvation in Afghanistan.[22] Balkh Province is the only Afghan province to share a border with Uzbekistan.
During Wafa's tenure as Balkh provincial governor, and only days after his predecessor's assassination by ISIS–K, the group bombed an Iranian (Shia) center in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, killing 4 and wounding 16 others.[23]
Controversies
[edit]Nurullah Adel, reportedly a close relative of Wafa, was arrested by Taliban intelligence on allegations of an extramarital affair. No confirmation of the arrest has been made.[24][25]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Afghan Taliban announce successor to Mullah Mansour". BBC News. 25 May 2016. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
- ^ Siddique, Abubakar (2 November 2022). "'Afghanistan Is Hell': Supporters Of Late Afghan General Claim Taliban Killings, Persecution". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty.
- ^ a b "Afghan Biographies: Wafa, Yusuf Mohammad Maulvi". Afghan Bios. 13 July 2023.
- ^ Bahesh, Hasib (11 March 2023). "Hibatullah's Dedication to World Jihad; Taliban's Preparations for International Conflict". Hasht-e-Subh Daily.
- ^ Gupta, Manoj (14 March 2023). "Taliban Looking for Image Makeover; Top Leaders' Meet to Discuss Vital Reforms Ends in Failure | Exclusive". News18.
- ^ "Southern Afghan City Becomes De Facto Capital As Taliban Chief Tightens Grip On Power". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 18 April 2023.
- ^ "Afghanistan's Taliban move spokesman's office to Kandahar". Reuters. 6 April 2023.
- ^ @rtaworld (20 November 2021). "Chinese businessmen should invest heavily in Kandahar. Kandahar Governor Haji Mohammad Yousuf Wafa in a meeting with members of CITIC Chinese Trading Company urged them that Chinese businessmen should invest heavily in the country and especially in Kandahar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @IDTV13 (26 September 2021). "International organizations serve in Kandahar with confidence, ready to provide any kind of protection. Meeting with Save the Children General Manager Christo Parnimandi at the Governor's Office with Haji Muhammad Yousuf Wafa, Governor of#Kandahar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @IDTV13 (9 September 2021). "If the rulers are like this then the society changes #Kandahar #Governor Haji Muhammad Yousuf Wafa cleans the city's streets with citizens and municipal staff" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Fatima, Ehsan ul-Haq [@fatima__ehsan] (28 September 2021). "The best move by the governor of #Kandahar Provincial #Governor Haji Muhammad Yousuf Wafa gathered all the begging women of Kandahar city and provided them with food items and also fixed a monthly stipened for them" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Mehrdad, Ezzatullah (15 October 2021). "Suicide bombers hit Shiite mosque in Afghanistan killing dozens — the second such attack in a week". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Islamic State Bombing Kills at Least 65 People in Southern Afghanistan". Washington post. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ Peshimam, Gibran (16 October 2021). "Blast at Shi'ite mosque in Afghan city of Kandahar causes heavy casualties". Reuters. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ Mehta, Amar (16 October 2021). "Afghanistan: At least 35 killed in suicide bombing during prayers at Kandahar mosque". Sky News. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ Gul, Ayaz (9 March 2023). "Suicide Bombing Kills Taliban Provincial Governor in Afghanistan". Voice of America.
- ^ "Deputy governor of northern Afghan province killed in car bomb attack". Reuters. 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Blast at Afghanistan journalist event kills at least one, injures eight". reuters.com. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ Samsoor, Amin (11 March 2023). "Kandahar governor looking after Balkh affairs". Pajhwok Afghan News.
- ^ @TOLOnws (8 December 2023). "Muhammad Yousuf Wafa, governor of Balkh province, in a meeting with diplomats of 6 countries, including the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that the Islamic Emirate wants positive interaction with the world according to its policy" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @EmirateAfghan (19 December 2023). "Belh Governor Muhammad Yousuf Wafa gave 100,000 AFN cash aid to the person he learned sold his household goods due to need and poverty" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Amid humanitarian crisis, Afghanistan receives 169 tonnes of aid from Uzbekistan". ThePrint. 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Bomb Blast At Shia Center Linked To Iran Kills Several In Afghanistan". Iran International. 11 March 2023.
- ^ Kawa, Amin (16 March 2023). "Taliban's Extramarital Cases; Women Do Not Feel Safe". Hasht-e Subh Media.
- ^ @SS12146997 (27 December 2022). "Sources say that Nurullah Adel, the head of the Taliban's environment for Kandahar,was arrested by the group's intelligence while having sex with a woman. According to the sources,Nurullah Adel,a close relative of Mohammad Yousef Wafa is the governor of the Taliban in Kandahar" (Tweet) – via Twitter.