A dispute that threatened to split
the Afghan Taliban has been resolved after relatives of late leader
Mullah Omar backed his successor, the group says.
A spokesman told
the BBC that Omar's eldest son and brother swore allegiance to Mullah
Akhtar Mansour on Tuesday - and the movement was now united.
The move consolidates the new leader's place after weeks of uncertainty.
His swift appointment had angered some Taliban leaders after the group's founder's death was confirmed in July.
Mullah Omar's family and a number of senior figures were against his successor and splits emerged into the open.
Who is Mullah Mansour?
Long seen as acting head of the Taliban, and close to its founder Mullah Omar
Born in the sixties, in Kandahar province, where he later served as shadow governor after the Taliban's fall
Was civil aviation minister during the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan
Had an active role in drug trafficking, according to the UN
Has clashed with Abdul Qayum Zakir, a
senior military commander, amid a power struggle and differences over
negotiations with the Afghan government
The BBC's Dawood Azami says Mullah
Omar's son and brother - Mullah Yaqoub and Mullah Manan - have little
military power but their support is symbolically significant. He says
Mullah Mansour's leadership now seems accepted by most Taliban.
Several other heavyweights not already on board are now expected to follow suit.
The
support of important Taliban commanders in the south has yet to be
secured but would be even more important, our correspondent says.
"We intend to protect and keep this movement united," the Taliban said in a statement on their website.
Speaking
to BBC Persian's Harun Najafizada, Taliban spokesman Zaibullah Mujahid
did not reveal where the secret meeting had been held but said it had
been "splendid".
Asked about other senior Taliban figures such as
Manan Niazi, Mullah Hassan Akhund and Mansour Dadullah, the spokesman
said: "They have not yet given allegiances, but they should give it now,
because they were waiting for the family of the commander of the
faithful to go first."
Media captionMullah Omar dead: What we know, in 1 minute
Taliban enter uncharted territory Mullah Omar: Reclusive figure Pakistan quiet on Mullah Omar's death
The
Associated Press news agency reported that it had spoken to Mullah
Manan and he confirmed that he and Mullah Yaqoub now supported Mullah
Mansour.
The two men made their support conditional on the new
leader accepting eight demands, giving them more say, an aide to Mullah
Yaqoub told Reuters news agency. These included restructuring the
leadership shura (council) and ruling by consensus.
"Mullah Mansour accepted all these demands," the aide said.
Last
month the Taliban admitted covering up Mullah Omar's death for two
years, for tactical reasons. Earlier this week his son said he had died
of natural causes in Afghanistan, after contracting hepatitis C.
This
conflicts with the account given by the Afghan government, which said
Mullah Omar died in hospital in Karachi in 2013, despite Pakistani
denials he was in the country.
The death disrupted fledgling peace
talks between the Afghan government and the insurgents, but hopes for
talks will rise if Mullah Mansour's position is more secure.
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