The French airlift has closed.
After Germany, Italy, Spain ... France in turn has declared the end of evacuation operations from Kabul airport, while hundreds of people are still massed on the spot in the hope to leave the country.
"Operation Apagan, launched on August 15 at the request of the President of the Republic, ended this evening," tweeted Florence Parly.
Nearly 3,000 people, including around 100 French nationals and more than 2,600 Afghans threatened for having worked for France or for their commitment to human rights, have been evacuated, said the Army staff.
This airlift had to be interrupted "the security conditions no longer being met at the airport" of Kabul because of the "rapid disengagement of the American forces" which will have left Afghanistan on August 31, added Florence Parly and Jean -Yves Le Drian in a joint press release.
"The team from the French embassy in Kabul joined Abu Dhabi before returning to France", they added, thanking "diplomats, soldiers, police officers and all the state services" who attended. mobilized "relentlessly" to allow these evacuations.
French Ambassador to Afghanistan David Martinon will continue to operate from Paris, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
"The last French soldiers left Kabul this evening", also tweeted the staff, which had dispatched a hundred soldiers there.
Discussions with the Taliban to allow further departures
In total, the French army provided 26 rotations between Kabul and the air base 104 of Abu Dhabi, the hub of the device, and 16 flights between Abu Dhabi and Paris.
France, which calls for the establishment of humanitarian operations to allow the thousands of Afghans who have not managed to be evacuated to leave by other means, has announced that it will continue discussions in this direction. with the Taliban.
"Our efforts continue (...) To this end, we will continue our efforts with the Taliban officials to ensure that they will not put any obstacle after August 31 to the departure of those who wish," noted the two ministers.
A French delegation met representatives of the Taliban in Doha on Thursday for the first time since they took power in Afghanistan on August 15.
These discussions focused on the situation at Kabul airport and the evacuation operations, according to the two parties.
The Taliban assure that anyone in possession of legal documents will be able to travel abroad and that the civilian airport will be reopened to allow the resumption of international flights.