News item | 10-08-2022 | 09:48
Since August 15, 2021, Afghanistan has been in the hands of the Taliban. Almost a year later, the placement of 2 ambassadors who experienced the situation up close comes to an end. Caecilia Wijgers, Ambassador to Afghanistan. And Wouter Plomp, ambassador to Pakistan. They look back on the events in and around Afghanistan and look to the future of the region.
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Caecilia Wijgers, Ambassador to Afghanistan
‘You can sum up my time as ambassador in Afghanistan in two words,’ says Caecilia. ‘Before and after. The turning point was the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban and the evacuation operation that followed. In my head I still sometimes go through the various events leading up to August 15, at the airport in Kabul, and afterwards here in the Netherlands and in Afghanistan. I can still easily recall the feeling after the fall of Kabul: disbelief, shock, a turning point in history.’
My time as ambassador in Afghanistan can be summed up in two words: before and after.
‘Before the departure of the United States and NATO soldiers, we had prepared ourselves for several scenarios together with like-minded countries. But due to the acceleration of events, we ended up in the worst scenario.’
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Afghanistan: the situation now
“The situation in Afghanistan is very worrying. The country is in a deep economic and humanitarian crisis under a regime hitherto unrecognized by any country. The Taliban are divided among themselves and they also lack legitimacy among the Afghan population. People’s freedom is under pressure, and women in particular suffer as a result. They are literally banned from public life. Secondary education is still not open to women either.’
The order as I received it in Kabul still stands. But the task has only gotten harder.
‘The assignment I was given at the time in Kabul still stands: to contribute to the stabilization of Afghanistan. The Netherlands continues to support the Afghan population. But humanitarian aid alone is not enough. Investing in the self-reliance of the population, commitment to human rights, support for civil society, the fight against terrorism and maintaining a dialogue with the Taliban: it is all necessary. So the task has only become more difficult. Not only because the Taliban are in power, but also because we as an embassy team have been at a distance for a year now.’
Transferring persons from Afghanistan
Since the takeover of the Taliban, the Netherlands has been committed to transferring eligible persons in Afghanistan to the Netherlands as quickly as possible. After the acute evacuation phase in Kabul, a separate task force for transfers to coordinate activities at our embassies. Together they provide alternative routes via Pakistan, Iran, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In this way, people who are still in Afghanistan can be brought to the Netherlands. I am very grateful to all these colleagues. Because it is not an easy task. That also applies to Wouter in Pakistan.’
Wouter Plomp, Ambassador to Pakistan
People can only come to the Netherlands via countries neighboring Afghanistan. ‘That is,’ explains Wouter, ‘because the Netherlands has no official links with the Taliban regime. And so suddenly after the fall of Kabul, besides being ambassador to Pakistan, I was also ambassador for transfers for half the time. That remains a major challenge, because as an embassy we demand a lot from Pakistan. For example, when we asked to use part of the airport for evacuation flights, to land with military aircraft, and to temporarily accommodate refugees. It’s like asking in the Netherlands: can we use a part of Schiphol?’
It’s like asking in the Netherlands: can we use a part of Schiphol?
‘We are also asking Pakistan, for example, to let people in without a passport. The agreement is that we inform the Pakistani authorities as best as possible who it is. And that those people can then cross the Pakistani border. So, as we demand more and more from Pakistan, it is very important to keep that cooperation and goodwill mutual. I am incredibly impressed by the overwhelming hospitality and helpfulness of the people here.’
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Deployment of embassy in Pakistan
‘As an embassy, we ensure that people from Afghanistan who are allowed to come to the Netherlands are received in Pakistan. We arrange buses to pick them up at the Afghan border. We make sure that they can go to guest houses, which my colleagues and I visit regularly. To keep in touch, and to put a heart to them. That is the operation we are still working on. Many people, at the embassy and in The Hague, are working very hard on this. More than 600 Afghans have arrived in Pakistan in the last six weeks.’
Promise to the Afghan people
After leaving Afghanistan, Caecilia worked from Qatar. ‘We organized team days with the embassy team to look back together. Everyone needed that badly, also because we had to say goodbye to our evacuated local colleagues, who had to rebuild their lives in the Netherlands. Painful for everyone. Afghanistan does something to you, gets under your skin. But at the same time, that also makes us very motivated to continue.’
“We have made a promise not to abandon the Afghan people. The Netherlands, together with other countries, has been working there for more than 20 years. 25 Dutch soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan. And think of all the Afghans who have fought to make their country more stable and democratic, at a great price.’
Afghanistan: a look into the future
“We can’t look very far ahead. The situation in Afghanistan is continuously evolving. But we remain involved. After the great exodus that followed the seizure of power, new heroes have emerged in society. Young people, women. We want to support their commitment to be heard. Ultimately, change in Afghanistan must come from within, through dialogue between Afghans. That’s the key.’
This is not the same Afghanistan that was conquered by the Taliban in the late 1990s.
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‘We have to realize that the Dutch commitment is and will remain important. A stable Afghanistan also makes our country safer. Afghanistan must not once again become a base for international terrorism. This is not the same Afghanistan that was conquered by the Taliban in the late 1990s, although the repressive measures of the Taliban are reminiscent of that time. Many Afghans have changed in their minds. This also applies to the female leaders in provinces, who have remained. That will come up someday. That can hardly be otherwise. It is only a matter of time and that requires patience. I also hope that the Dutch will continue to offer support to the Afghans in the Netherlands, who would also rather be at home. Because having to start all over again somewhere is extremely difficult.’
Farewell to two ambassadors
Caecilia Wijgers and Wouter Plomp say goodbye to their posts. Caecilia did so on July 26. She is taking a sabbatical for six months. Wouter will leave Pakistan on August 13. He will start as ambassador to Nigeria in September.
Wouter Plomp: ‘Saying goodbye is always difficult, but in my three years in Pakistan I was able to achieve a number of things for the Netherlands. Pakistan plays a vital role in the region and we desperately needed Pakistan when we wanted to get people out of Afghanistan. It was hard, but also very rewarding work. Because I was able to help people very concretely from the embassy who, because of their role in Afghanistan, were eligible for residence in the Netherlands. This would not have been possible without the help of Pakistan and other neighboring countries of Afghanistan. Next year, the Netherlands and Pakistan will celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations. Hopefully we can further strengthen the cooperation with Pakistan in other areas as well (eg economy, agriculture and culture).’
Cecilia Wijgers: Diplomacy is a special profession. I feel it is a privilege to be able to contribute and serve the Netherlands. You have an assignment and you try to fulfill it as best you can with all the tools you have – and giving up is not an option. The solidarity we experienced during the crisis in collaboration with so many colleagues, civil and military, was unprecedented. It also ensured that I was able to give everything I had in me. I came out stronger in the end. Now I have to get off the adrenaline rush before I continue. Afghanistan remains part of me, but I now hand over my tasks to my esteemed successor Emiel de Bont.’