It’s an extraordinary story with a happy ending. Threatened with death in their country, an Afghan family of ten people was exfiltrated and saved at the cost of an incredible chain of solidarity.
It all started with an email received on Saturday August 21 at 7:51 p.m. In this message, a man explained that he was in imminent danger of death. This email, written in the middle of the summer, sent to the general messaging system, could have taken the direction of the recycle bin. They were however referred to Grégory Bozonnet, the chief of staff of Michael Delafosse, the mayor of Montpellier.
Made honorary citizen of the city by Georges Frêche in 2003
In this message, Hakimullah Ghazniwal explained that he was the former mayor of the commune of Ghazni, with whom the Hérault prefecture had established exchanges in 2002, after the fall of the first Taliban regime. A year later, Georges Frêche, then socialist mayor of Montpellier, received his counterpart with all respect, and made him an honorary citizen of the city.
“Immediately, we tried to put everything in place to respond to the call for help from this man and his family. They were among the Afghan civilians who unfortunately could not take advantage of the airlift to leave the country, ”explains city councilor Christian Assaf. An operation was then set up to help them reach France, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior and the American NGO Open Society Foundations.
Repatriated by MHB’s private plane after returning from a Champions League match
After many twists and turns and the agreement of the Taliban authorities, the evacuation will be successful on October 7 for Hakimullah Ghazniwal, his wife, their seven children and the wife of the eldest of the siblings, for whom the issuance of the pass was the more complicated. An exfiltration via Tbilisi, Georgia, before a new departure and support by the Red Cross in Skopje. This Wednesday, it is in the capital of Macedonia that Christian Assaf and the Montpellier delegation recovered them. The place is anything but the result of chance. “The MHB handball team went there by private plane to play a Champions League match,” continues Christian Assaf. We took the opportunity to recover them and bring them back with us ”.
Handball, like an incredible red thread. Anyone who fled Georges Frêche’s chief of staff in the early 2000s remembers this visit very well. “We notably attended an MHB handball match. He told me that he remembered the atmosphere in Bougnol. I have been involved in politics for years. I think a lot about this sentence that the Jews say for the Righteous, “which saves a life, saves all mankind”. It’s times like this that you really feel useful. In their departure, Hakimullah Ghazniwal and his relatives almost abandoned everything on the spot. “But among their rare personal effects, is this medal of honor which represents for him a safe-conduct”.
Solidarity chain in Montpellier
The city of Montpellier and its mayor Michaël Delafosse will take care of their accommodation. The dean of the law faculty offered to allow the children to continue their university studies and to learn French. The Association des Afghans de Montpellier should help them integrate into life in Montpellier. “An extraordinary chain of solidarity has been set up in Montpellier. “