Afghanistan’s ambassador and Consul in Germany resign amid diplomatic pressure

Yama Yari, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Germany, announced that he has stepped down from his position at the host country’s request. Mr. Yari stated that he is ending his tenure to prevent further complications for Afghan citizens and migrants, which could potentially lead to the closure of the Afghanistan embassy.

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Berlin announced on its social media on November 18 that several Afghanistan consulates and embassies in Europe and other regions have faced significant challenges in maintaining official relations with Kabul due to the absence of formal agreements.

Diplomatic sources also stated that Abdul Baqi Popal has replaced Mr. Yari and taken over responsibility for overseeing Afghanistan’s embassy in Germany.

Mr. Popal previously served as an advisor at the Afghanistan embassy in Berlin. He is originally from Panjwai district in Kandahar province and has a background as the deputy head of municipalities within Afghanistan’s local governance department.

Some diplomatic sources have suggested that recent changes could lead to the Afghan embassy in Germany establishing closer ties with the Taliban.

So far, the Taliban have not commented on the changes at Afghanistan’s embassy in Germany.

Previously, Lutfullah Sadat, Afghanistan’s consul in Bonn, also announced that he had stepped down due to “restrictions and requests from the host country.”

In a statement published on the official Facebook page of the Afghan consulate in Bonn, Mr. Sadat wrote: “Considering certain constraints and political restrictions imposed by the host country, as well as their request, and to prevent the closure or suspension of consular activities of this mission, I am resigning from my position as General Consul of Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany.”

The German Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the changes in Afghanistan’s diplomatic offices in the country.

Earlier in late October, Germany had asked Afghan diplomats to either engage with the Taliban or step down from their positions.

Reports earlier indicated that diplomatic sources confirmed Germany recently asked Afghanistan’s former ambassador in Berlin and the General Consul in Bonn to step down.

These sources stated that over the past two months, the ambassador and general consul had been negotiating with German officials to justify continuing their missions based on the credentials of the former republic’s government.

However, reliable sources indicated that Germany had asserted that their presence without ties to Kabul was no longer beneficial.

Sources also confirmed that other countries have increased pressure on Afghanistan ambassadors in the past month, sending a clear message: “Engage with the Taliban or end your diplomatic missions.”

The recent changes in Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions in Germany reflect growing challenges in maintaining official ties with Kabul, amid increasing pressure from host countries to engage with the Taliban or step down, raising concerns about the future of Afghanistan representation abroad.

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