Taliban cut ties with Afghan embassies loyal to former government

KABUL

The Taliban government has severed consular ties with swathes of Afghan embassies in Western countries, Kabul said on Tuesday, cutting off diplomats loyal to the former foreign-backed administration.

The 2021 Taliban takeover left diplomats staffing Afghanistan's foreign missions in limbo, having pledged to serve a government which collapsed in chaos after the withdrawal of U.S troops.

No country has yet formally recognized the Taliban government but in the past three years the Kabul authorities have installed Taliban ambassadors in some neighboring embassies.

But Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said yesterday it now "bears no responsibility" for credentials including passports and visas issued by missions out of step with Kabul's new rulers.

The embassies include those in the cities of London and Berlin as well as the countries of Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada and Australia.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly urged the Afghan political and consular missions in European countries to engage with Kabul," a statement said.

"Unfortunately, the actions of most of the missions are carried out arbitrarily, without coordination and in explicit violation of the existing accepted principles."

The statement said Afghans living abroad should deal instead with missions affiliated with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the self-styled name the Taliban have given the country under their rule.

Pakistan, China and Russia are among Afghan embassies working on order from the Taliban government.

Embassies cut off from Kabul have found themselves in dire financial straits, relying heavily on consular fees to pay staff salaries, rent and bills.

Without that income they may struggle to remain open.

The Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on its future plans for the ostracized embassies.