Afghanistan After the declaration of independence by the Taliban administration Great Britain of Afghanistan on Friday in the capital London Embassy was closed while diplomatic staff were dismissed.
An AFP reporter saw a notice on the door of the consul section that read, “Embassy of the Republic of Afghanistan is closed.”
There was no answer to the knock on the door, but the country’s flag was still flying on the embassy building.
Earlier this month, Afghan ambassador to the UK, Zalmi Rasool, announced on social media that the embassy would be closed on September 27 at the ‘formal request of the host country’.
The British Foreign Office denied any involvement in the embassy closure.
Britain’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has denied that it had a hand in the closure of the Afghan embassy.
A spokesman for the agency said: ‘This decision was not made by the British Government. The state of Afghanistan decided to close the Afghan embassy in London and dismiss its staff.
“We will continue to support the people of Afghanistan and provide humanitarian aid to those who need it most.”
FCDO did not say whether the new Afghan ambassador to London would be accepted or not.
The UK does not legally recognize the Taliban government and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.
But according to the US and the EU, London recognizes that there is ‘no alternative’ to de facto engagement with Afghanistan’s current administration.
At present, the British Afghan mission is based in Doha.
According to the Afghan embassy’s website, its consular section closed on September 20.
Zalmi Rasool reposted on X on Friday that the German ambassador to Britain said it had been a ‘pleasure’ to work with his Afghan counterpart for many years. He condemned the ‘deplorable conditions of women and girls’ under the Taliban regime.
Over the past three years, the Taliban has imposed a strict Islamic regime and gradually pushed women out of public spaces.
This section contains related reference points (Related Nodes field).
Despite the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, foreign embassies continued to operate with Afghan diplomatic staff loyal to the previous Afghan government.
These include Afghan embassies in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and Australia.
In late July, the Taliban’s foreign ministry said it accepted ‘no responsibility’ for passports and visas issued by missions not aligned with the new authorities in Kabul.
The Taliban government has said that Afghan nationals living abroad should only contact missions operating under the current Afghan government.
Taliban officials are not formally recognized by any country, but Pakistan, China and Russia host Afghan embassies operating at the behest of the Taliban government.
According to the BBC, Afghan diplomats in the UK were reportedly told to either leave the UK or apply for political asylum.
#Afghan #Embassy #London #closed #Talibans #withdrawal
2024-09-27 21:01:18
