The first air rotation of evacuation of Kabul organized by the French army between its base in the Emirates and the Afghan capital fallen to the hands of the Taliban is planned by “the end of Monday”, declared the French Minister of the Armies on France Info. Florence Parly specified that there were in particular “several dozen” of French people to be evacuated.
“We have organized on the basis available to us in the United Arab Emirates the reception conditions for the first evacuees, whether they are French nationals who are still in Kabul, but whether they are also people who are under our protection and that we will evacuate, ”she said.
Two air force planes mobilized
The French base in the Emirates “will serve as a military hub to ensure waterways between Abu Dhabi and Kabul and then repatriation to France,” she explained.
Among the dozens of French people to be evacuated include diplomatic staff, the minister said. The French priority is to “evacuate its nationals, evacuate personnel [afghans] who have rendered eminent services to our country by helping us on a daily basis and, moreover, 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.
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.