Denmark, Norway to shut down embassies in Afghanistan amid Taliban terror

Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod said that staff will also be evacuated from the war-torn Afghanistan, and that the same will be done in close coordination with Norway.

Amid the current turmoil in Afghanistan, Denmark and Norway announced on Friday that they are shutting down their embassies in Kabul for now, and also evacuating their staff. The Islamist extremist group Taliban have reportedly captured more than ten provincial capitals till now, and are strengthening their march towards the capital city, Kabul.

France has also reiterated its call to French citizens to depart from Afghanistan as soon as possible due to security situation.

Speaking to journalists, Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod said, “We have decided to temporarily close our embassy in Kabul.”

Later, Norway’s foreign minister Ine Soreide confirmed that the country would also shut down its embassy and evacuate Norwegian diplomats, local employees and their close relatives.

Kofod told media persons that the evacuation will be done “closely coordinated” with Norway, with which the country shares a compound.

Meanwhile, France’s foreign ministry has once again asked French citizens to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible. “In light of the deteriorating security situation, we again called on French citizens last week to leave the country as soon as possible,” a statement said.

The recent developments come after the US President Joe Biden declared on April 14 that the country will withdraw its troops from Afghanistan after two decades starting May 1. Until now, an estimated 65 per cent of the Afghan territory, with many nearby towns of Kabul, have fallen into the Taliban forces. As many as 15 provincial capitals of Afghanistan has been captured by Taliban.

Although peace talks had occurred in Qatar between the negotiators representing the Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban fighters for a power-sharing dead, the same has reportedly hit dead end as the latter has continued with its atrocities against security forces.

On Thursday, the US embassy in Kabul said that they’ve heard of reports about Taliban executing surrendering Afghan troops. “The Taliban’s statements in Doha do not resemble their actions in Badakhshan, Ghazni, Helmand & Kandahar. Attempts to monopolise power through violence, fear, and war will only lead to international isolation,” tweeted Ross Wilson, Chargé d'Affaires to Afghanistan.

The US pointed out that such acts could define “war crimes” and also urged the extremist group not to wipe out Afghanistan’s “human rights gains” of the last two decades.

(With inputs from Reuters)