France on Tuesday asked all its nationals to leave Afghanistan, citing "the evolution of the security situation" and "short-term prospects", at a time when the Taliban, in full offensive, called the inhabitants of large cities to surrender to avoid urban fights.

A special French government flight will leave Kabul on July 17 and "no additional special flight can be chartered," announced the French Embassy in Afghanistan, "formally recommending that all French people take this special flight or leave the country immediately on their own ”.

She informs the French who plan "to stay in Afghanistan after July 17, that she will no longer be able to ensure the security" of their departure.

Evacuation within the framework of the right of asylum

In a speech published on the eve of the national holiday of July 14, the French ambassador David Martinon specifies that the Afghan staff of the embassy, ​​those of the French Institute and of the French archaeological delegation in Afghanistan, as well as those of the French NGO Amitié franco-afghane (Afrane), have been evacuated in recent weeks to France, within the framework of the right of asylum.

The ambassador implicitly ruled out an immediate closure of the diplomatic representation: "We are continuing our task, maintaining, today more than ever, our support for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," he said. .

Foreign troops, present for twenty years in Afghanistan as part of a coalition led by the United States under the aegis of NATO, began their final withdrawal in early May, scheduled to be completed by the end. August.

Protection of civilians 

Thanks to this withdrawal, the Taliban have been leading an offensive against Afghan forces for two months, which has enabled them to seize vast rural territories.

Deprived of crucial American air support, the Afghan forces offered little resistance and essentially controlled only the main axes and the provincial capitals, some of which were surrounded.

The insurgents recently took control of key border posts with Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, as well as several districts in provinces neighboring Kabul, raising fears that they will soon attack the capital and its airport, alone. way out of the city for foreign nationals.

"Now that the clashes (...) have reached the gates of the cities, the Mujahedin do not want fighting in the cities," said a senior Taliban official, Amir Khan Muttaqi, calling on residents "to get in touch" with them to "reach a sensible deal to avoid damage to their cities".

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