Emmanuel Macron spoke of “the honor of France”. In his speeches on Afghanistan, the Head of State assured that the maximum would be done to repatriate the Afghans who worked for the French army during the years of war in the country. Today, the army estimates at “a few dozen” the number of those left behind.
“The maximum will be done to allow them to benefit from the protection of France in the days and weeks to come,” Hervé Grandjean, spokesperson for the Ministry of the Armed Forces, promised on Tuesday. While all foreign soldiers have left Afghan soil and Kabul airport is in Taliban hands, no system is currently in place to allow them to leave the country.
In all, 31 former employees were evacuated along with their families. A total of 110 people. But according to several people who have worked on the subject, including Senator Nathalie Goulet (UDI) or journalist Quentin Müller, 170 auxiliaries have asked, without success, to leave Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul on August 15. The elected in question evokes a “feeling of shame in front of an organized and accepted betrayal”.
For his part, Hervé Grandjean declared that France had employed 1,057 premises for the work of translators, drivers or storekeepers in particular. In all, France repatriated 220 between 2012 and 2019. The spokesperson also assures us that some preferred to stay there.
Those who remain can still hope to join another country, as the Taliban have promised that anyone with a passport and visa could leave the country. But many observers question this promise. “Diplomatic discussions” must now take place to set up an evacuation mechanism for those concerned.