In order to support the evacuations, diplomacy continues on the Afghan file. France and the United Kingdom will plead Monday at the UN for the creation in Kabul of a “safe zone”, that is to say a protected zone, Emmanuel Macron told Sunday Newspaper.
While the five permanent members of the Security Council are due to meet on Monday on the subject of the Afghan crisis, London and Paris are drawing up a “draft resolution” which “aims to define, under UN control, a” safe zone “in Kabul which will allow to continue humanitarian operations, ”said Emmanuel Macron.
“Put everyone in front of their responsibilities”
” Its very important. This would provide a framework for the United Nations to act in an emergency, and it will above all make it possible to put everyone in front of their responsibilities and the international community to maintain pressure on the Taliban, ”he added.
Begun two weeks ago with the capture of Kabul, operations to evacuate Afghans fleeing the Taliban regime are coming to an end at the airport, as the August 31 deadline for the withdrawal of American soldiers approaches. . France ceased operations on Friday evening, and the United Kingdom on Saturday. But Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday that discussions had been “started with the Taliban” to “protect and repatriate Afghans and Afghans” in a situation of risk beyond August 31.
Qatar as a relay
France is counting on the help of Qatar which, thanks to its good relations with the Taliban, “has the possibility of arranging airlift operations or reopening of certain airlines”, clarified Emmanuel Macron from Baghdad, where he attends a regional summit. At Sunday Newspaper, the Head of State said to imagine targeted evacuations “which will not be done by the military airport of Kabul”. “We will see if this can be done through the capital’s civilian airport or through neighboring countries,” he said.
The Head of State has also castigated “a certain form of clientelist discourse that stirs fears”, about the arrival of Afghan refugees in France. “My role is not to stir up fears among our compatriots, it is to provide solutions to resolve them”, he added, assuring that he wants to “manage this migratory pressure with humanity, firmness, with a ability to protect our borders as necessary, with solidarity between Europeans and an adapted policy with the countries of the region ”.