Leadership Rift Erupts Inside Afghanistan’s National Movement for Peace and Justice
DID Press: An internal split has surfaced within Afghanistan’s National Movement for Peace and Justice, after a member of its leadership council confirmed that five of the 17 council members have left the group over disagreements with its charter and core strategy.
In a statement, the National Movement for Peace and Justice said several leadership council members and some rank-and-file members opposed the group’s approach centered on a “political solution” and “national consensus,” and subsequently broke away.
The statement said the leadership council held multiple meetings and consultations in recent weeks to preserve the movement’s charter objectives and sustain internal cooperation. Ultimately, however, five of the 17 council members rejected key provisions of the charter and exited the movement.
According to the group, a majority of founders and members voted to continue pursuing two main strategies: advocating a political solution to Afghanistan’s crisis and working toward broad national consensus.
The movement said it views a durable resolution of Afghanistan’s complex crises within the framework of a political settlement, including an internationally guaranteed intra-Afghan agreement as well as an accord between Afghanistan and the international community to establish a legitimate political order, consolidate security, and achieve sustainable peace.
The statement stressed that the first step toward this objective is building consensus among political forces and fostering convergence among groups opposed to the Taliban.
Last week, a statement attributed to the movement circulated in support of armed struggle against the Taliban. The group later rejected the document as fake and reaffirmed its political approach.
The National Movement for Peace and Justice was founded in October 2022 by a number of former Afghan government officials. Prominent figures associated with the movement include Hanif Atmar and Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai.