Netherlands: resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs following the "Kabulgate"

Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag resigns following her mismanagement of the evacuation from Afghanistan, when the Netherlands has not had a government for 8 months.

Sem van der Wal ANP / AFP

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1 min

In the Netherlands, it is sometimes called Kabulgate, understand: the fiasco of the Dutch evacuation of Afghanistan after the capture of Kabul by the Taliban in August.

Thursday, September 17, accused of not having anticipated this crisis despite numerous warnings from diplomats, the outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sigrid Kaag, had to resign. 

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With our correspondent in The Hague,

Antoine Mouteau

It is almost 8 p.m. Wednesday evening when the news falls: Sigrid Kaag has finally resigned.

The deputies no longer had confidence in their Minister of Foreign Affairs, after his management, considered catastrophic, of the evacuation from Afghanistan of the Dutch and of the Afghan personnel who had worked for the Netherlands.

According to confidential documents the Volkskrant daily managed to obtain, his ministry ignored all requests for the evacuation of the Dutch embassy in Kabul for very long months.

Without government for 8 months

In addition to not having anticipated the arrival of the Taliban, the minister is accused of having ignored the hand extended by France which, in July, wanted to participate in the repatriation of Dutch people.

Sigrid Kaag was not just any minister.

This centrist is one of the big winners

of the legislative elections in March

.

Alongside her right-wing rival, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, for several months she had been desperately trying to form a coalition.

After a political crisis in January, the Netherlands has officially been without a government for eight months.

For many here, Sigrid Kaag's resignation is a very bad omen.

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  • Netherlands

  • Diplomacy

  • Afghanistan