The first air rotation to evacuate Kabul organized by the French army between its base in the Emirates and the Afghan capital fallen to the Taliban is scheduled for “late Monday,” the French minister of armies told France Info. Florence Parly specified that there were in particular “several dozen” French who had to be evacuated.
“We have organized on the basis that we have at our disposal in the United Arab Emirates the conditions of reception of the first evacuees, whether they are French citizens who are still in Kabul, but if they are also people who are under our protection and who we will evacuate, “she said.
The French base in the Emirates “will serve as a military center to secure the waterways between Abu Dhabi and Kabul and then repatriation to France,” he explained.
Among the dozens of French to be evacuated are diplomatic personnel, the minister said. The French priority is “evacuate its nationals, evacuate personnel [afghans] who have rendered eminent services to our country helping us on a day-to-day basis and, in addition, do everything possible to protect personalities who have defended human rights, human rights, journalists, artists, all those who are committed to these values that continue to defend around the world ”, he said.
This military evacuation operation, called Apagan, mobilizes in particular two air force transport planes, a C130 and an A400M, which took off on Sunday night and Monday morning from France to the Emirates.