The Afghan embassy in London will shut down on September 27, as confirmed by Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul on Monday. The closure follows directives from UK authorities, announced via the social media platform X.
This decision comes amid ongoing disputes over the control of Afghan embassies in Western countries. Senior diplomatic sources have reported that the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified 13 countries, including those in Europe, Canada, and Australia, that consular services provided by embassies operated by diplomats from the previous Afghan government are invalid without Taliban involvement.
Experts point out that Afghanistan’s lack of an internationally recognized government has significantly hampered its diplomatic missions and affected Afghan nationals abroad. Legal expert Ghulam Farooq Aleem noted that, although it would have been preferable for these embassies to continue functioning, the absence of a legitimate Afghan government has left no legal framework for their operations.
As a result, countries like the United States and the UK have opted to close Afghan diplomatic missions. In Europe, Germany has formally responded to the Taliban’s demand, urging the Afghan embassy in Berlin to engage with the Taliban to address the issue. Germany is currently the only nation to have officially reacted to the Taliban’s letter.
Afghan citizens staged a protest outside the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin, opposing any potential diplomatic engagement with the Taliban and emphasizing human rights concerns. Some countries have advised diplomats from the former Afghan government to disregard the Taliban’s letters.
Last month, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that only consular services from five Afghan embassies—located in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic—would be recognized by the Taliban.
European nations are set to hold a special meeting on September 28 to discuss the status of Afghan embassies across the continent. Afghan citizens remain hopeful that any engagement with the Taliban will prioritize human rights issues.
