Australia has said it will close its embassy in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Friday, as the withdrawal of foreign troops continues.
In a statement, Canberra spoke of “an increasingly insecure security environment” in the country.
It said Australian strategists would visit Afghanistan regularly – but would be based elsewhere in the region.
Worrying Closure Of Embassies
Afghanistan has said it hopes the closure will be “temporary” and Australia will continue its permanent presence.
“The closure of the embassies is also worrying,” the statement said.
“One question that may come to the minds of some people is: ‘Why is Australia leaving Afghanistan in such a state and why has it spent 20 years in this country?'”.
There are fears that the withdrawal of the US-led NATO force could turn Afghanistan into a full-fledged war zone.
In April, US President Joe Biden said U.S. troops would leave on September 11, after 20 years of military involvement in Afghanistan.
“It’s time to end the longest war in America,” Mr Biden said.
At least 2,500 U.S. troops are part of 9,600-strong Nato Afghan project.
Australian Troop Reduction
Over the past two years, Australia has reduced the number of troops in Afghanistan from more than 1,500 to about 80.
U.S. and NATO officials have recently said that the Taliban, a militant Islamist group, has so far failed to meet its obligations to reduce violence in Afghanistan.
The Australian statement was released jointly by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Tuesday.
‘Australia Remains Committed’
“We will close our Embassy building on May 28, 2021,” the statement said, adding that “it is expected that Australia will take over for a while and that we will continue to be in Kabul if conditions allow.
“Australia remains committed to bilateral relations with Afghanistan, and will continue to support the stability and development of Afghanistan in partnership with other nations.”
The statement does not say where Australian diplomacy officials will be relocated to the province.
This announcement raises a number of questions. The speed for starters – the embassy is due to close by the end of this week. Why so fast?
What does that mean for Canberra’s commitment to peace in Afghanistan? Just four weeks ago, the foreign minister was in Kabul reiterating his government’s support.
What is clear, however, is that there is a great deal of fear about the potential for escalating violence – and not much confidence, it seems to us, in the ability of the Afghan leadership or military to stop it.
With the Taliban’s bold move that sees the withdrawal of allied troops as a victory, the Afghan government will need all the help it can get from its allies. In the case of Australia, for now, it will have to be a long way off.
