Mullah Omar's latest message shows that the notoriously reclusive Taliban chief is overcoming his aversion to the media. Since 2001, his movement has gradually honed its message and now uses the full spectrum of technologies to put it forward.
The insurgency in Afghanistan is a complex phenomenon made up of a number of groups, some of whom have a tight chain-of-command while others have loose organisational structures. FRANCE24 takes a look at the key faces of the insurgency.
In a statement posted on a website frequently used by the Taliban, Mullah Omar, the movement’s reclusive leader, purportedly urged Afghans “not to be deceived” by US President Barack Obama’s justifications for the war.
A small contingent of French troops has been deployed in the highly sensitive province of Uruzgan, as Afghan and NATO forces attempt to deal a knockout blow to Taliban insurgents ahead of August elections.
Mullah Mohammad Omar 
