Australia will close its embassy in Afghanistan in the coming days, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Tuesday, amid mounting fears about security in Kabul amid the US troop withdrawal.
Morrison said the headquarters will close on May 28 “in light of the impending withdrawal of international military personnel from Afghanistan,” and that it will reopen “when circumstances permit.”
The United States initiated the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, a measure that generates uncertainty about the future of the Asian country, involved in a conflict with the Taliban.
The government and security services in Afghanistan remain weak, despite having received international aid for two decades to strengthen their capacity, and it is unclear how they will function without the support of US forces.
Most of the US troops are expected to have left Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the Al Qaeda attacks that led to the country’s occupation.
“Australia expects this to be temporary and that we will resume a permanent presence in Kabul when circumstances permit,” said Morrison.
A small group of Australian soldiers will also leave Afghanistan, closing a mission that cost the country billions of dollars.
Without that small contingent or the US force to back it up, Morrison said there is “an environment of increasing security uncertainty.”
“The government was warned that it would not have the necessary security to support our diplomatic presence,” he added in a statement.
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