Taliban promotes sanctioned official to central bank governor
The Taliban has promoted an official, who is the subject of U.S. counter-terrorism sanctions, as the central bank’s new acting governor.
The Taliban has promoted an official, who is the subject of U.S. counter-terrorism sanctions, as the central bank’s new acting governor, a spokesman said, a move likely to be watched by Washington which has frozen billions of the bank’s reserves.
Taliban administration spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the appointment of Noor Ahmad Agha, also known as Ahmad Zia Agha, by the Taliban supreme spiritual leader to the helm of the central bank in a statement on Saturday.
He said former central bank governor Hidayatullah Badri, who is subject to U.S. and United Nations sanctions, would take up the role of acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum.
Afghanistan’s central bank appointments are closely tracked by the United States, which froze $7 billion of its reserves held in the U.S. after the Taliban took over in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan.
Washington later transferred half of the money to a trust fund in Switzerland overseen by U.S., Swiss and Afghan trustees.
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