France scrambles to evacuate nationals from Kabul airport chaos

French diplomatic staff and NGO workers were to be evacuated from the Afghan capital Kabul Monday after Taliban fighters stormed the presidential palace and sealed their victory in a war lasting almost two decades.

“We are doing everything we can to facilitate the arrival in France of those who are willing and able to reach Kabul airport,” said Defence Minister Florence Parly, adding that French planes would begin rotations by Monday evening.

France has mobilised two large military aircraft: The first, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules made available by Britain, was due to leave Dubai late Monday with a handful of French soldiers on board.

The second, an Airbus A400M Atlas, was en route to Abu Dhabi carrying a logistics team, doctors and military personnel.

Authorities in Paris have confirmed that several dozen French citizens remain in Afghanistan.

France was among some 60 nations who issued a joint statement urging the Taliban to allow people to leave.

Meanwhile the French embassy has been moved to Kabul airport to allow for the continued issuing of visas.

According to figures seen by RFI, so far 250 people are to be evacuated – including 50 French nationals and 200 Afghans. That figure could rise further depending on the number of visa applications received by the French authorities.

While the United States has committed to relocating Afghan interpreters and others who worked with American forces, Washington is looking for partner countries to take in those at-risk Afghans while their applications are processed.

Rush on airport

On Monday chaotic scenes unfolded at Kabul airport among the thousands of foreign nationals and asylum seekers desperate to leave the country.

“It’s save whoever you can,” reported RFI correspondent Sonia Ghezali.

US soldiers securing the airport fired into the air to disperse Afghans who had made their way onto the tarmac.

In a press release, the Kabul Airport Authority urged people not to “rush to the airport”, adding that commercial flights had been cancelled to prevent looting.

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The Taliban now control most of Afghanistan’s territory, with President Ashraf Ghani – who fled the country – acknowledging late Sunday “the Taliban have won”.

The Islamist group has taken control of security throughout Kabul, including the once impenetrable Green Zone, Ghezali reports.

In a video posted on social networks, Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar hailed the victory of the Islamist movement.

“Now we must show that we can serve our nation and provide security and comfort in life,” he said.

The end of US involvement?

The Taliban’s rapid advance across Afghanistan – coming on the heels of US promises for continued support for Afghan soldiers – has revived doubts about the credibility of US foreign policy.

“The US tends to get itself mired in impossible situations,” former US diplomat William Jordan told RFI.

“Right now we have an end – albeit not a clean end – to a 20-year commitment that goes back to 9/11, and immediately everyone is bringing to mind these baleful images of the United States pulling out under pressure and under fire from Saigon in 1975.

“The problem with the US is that the world still sees it as a sort of global policeman.”

The chaotic retreat from Afghanistan, however, will not be the political disaster for US President Joe Biden that some are predicting, says Jordan.

“Doing this so early in his presidency will allow Biden the chance to recover before 2024.”

Humanitarian fears

Meanwhile the United Nations Security Council was to hold an emergency meeting on Afghanistan Monday, its second in a week, after Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban “to exercise utmost restraint in order to protect lives”.

Earlier, the UN’s Refugee Agency warned of a spiralling humanitarian crisis brought on as Taliban troops stormed major cities.

The UNHCR says 80 percent of the quarter of a million Afghans forced to flee since the end of May were women and children