Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada addressed supporters in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar on Sunday, marking his first-ever public appearance.
Akhundzada has been the spiritual chief of the movement since 2016 but remained a reclusive figure, even after his group seized power in Afghanistan in August. His public appearance refuted rumors of his death.
On Saturday, he visited the Darul Uloom Hakimah madrassa to "speak to his brave soldiers and disciples", according to Taliban officials.
There was tight security at the event and no photographs or video have emerged, but a ten-minute audio recording was shared by Taliban social media accounts.
He gave a religious message and his speech did not touch on politics but sought God's blessing for the Taliban leadership.
On 20 October, Russia hosted the Taliban for talks on Afghanistan, calling for an inclusive government.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that “forming a really inclusive government fully reflecting the interests of not only all ethnic groups but all political forces of the country” is necessary to achieve a stable peace in Afghanistan.
The group delegation was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi, a senior figure in the new Afghan leadership that led talks with the European Union and the United States last week.
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