Afghanistan: How France will evacuate its nationals – The HuffPost

AFGHANISTAN – Organize urgently. The first aerial rotation Kabul evacuation organized by the French army between its military base in the United Arab Emirates and the Afghan capital which fell into the hands of the Taliban is expected by “the end of Monday” August 16, said French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly.

“We plan to make the first rotation by the end of Monday,” said the minister on Franceinfo radio, specifying that there were “several dozen” French people to be evacuated, as well as foreign people “who are under our protection ”.

“On the basis available to us in the United Arab Emirates, we have organized the reception conditions for the first evacuees, whether they are French nationals who are still in Kabul, but also those who are us our protection and that we will evacuate, ”she said.

Round trips between the Emirates and Kabul

The French base in the Emirates “will serve as hub military to ensure norias between Abu Dhabi and Kabul and then repatriation to France ”, she explained. Among the dozens of French people to be evacuated include diplomatic staff, said the minister, as well as members of NGOs working in Afghanistan.

The French priority is to “evacuate its nationals, evacuate personnel (Afghans, editor’s note) who have rendered eminent services to our country by helping us on a daily basis, and also do their utmost to protect personalities who have defended human rights, human rights, journalists, artists, all those who are committed to these values ​​that we continue to defend around the world, ”she said.

“We are doing everything to be able to facilitate the arrival in France of those who have the will and the capacity to reach Kabul airport”, added the minister, recalling however that the safety of the roads is far from being assured on place in the context of the Taliban takeover.

This military evacuation operation, called Apagan, notably mobilizes two Air Force transport planes, a C130 and an A400M, which took off Sunday evening and Monday morning from France to the Emirates.

See also on the HuffPost: After the arrival of the Taliban, the Kabul airport taken by storm