New Delhi: The tricolour flag of the Afghan republic continues to flutter over the embassy in New Delhi, but within the walls of the mission, two remaining diplomats say they feel “trapped”. Meanwhile, the ambassador — currently in London — claims the Indian government has been trying to accommodate Taliban representation in India under the “guise” of the republic.
“The proposal to include Taliban representation under the guise of the republic serves a dual purpose — appeasing domestic stakeholders and meeting Taliban’s demands for reciprocal cooperation,” Afghan ambassador Farid Mamundzay told ThePrint.
This comes weeks after Mamundzay and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made contradictory claims on whether or not the embassy is closed.
On 1 October, Mamundzay announced the closure of the embassy due to “lack of support” from the host country. Four days later, the MEA spokesperson rubbished these claims and said the embassy is still functioning. The Afghan consul generals in Hyderabad and Mumbai — also appointed by the previous Afghan democratic government — backed the MEA and “disavowed” the ambassador’s statement.
However, a source in the embassy told ThePrint that the embassy is indeed closed. “The main gate has been closed since 1 October. Local staff like gardeners, cleaners and kitchen staff enter through the back door, through the ambassador’s residence. There are two diplomats who refuse to leave the embassy premises.”
ThePrint reached MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi via calls Wednesday. He reiterated his statement that the mission is functioning as “usual”, but declined to comment on Mamundzay’s claims.
Acting-Consul General Syed Mohammad Ibrahimkhail echoed this, saying: “There’s two diplomats in the mission. They are running operations.”
However, the two remaining Afghan diplomats told ThePrint they feel “trapped” as the MEA is allegedly not issuing them exit permits. Mamundzay says this is a departure from diplomatic norms.
ThePrint contacted Bagchi to confirm these claims and was redirected to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which hadn’t responded to emails at the time of publishing this report.
Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghan nationals, including diplomatic passport holders, allegedly require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Indian government to enter or depart the country.
“To exit or enter India, Afghan nationals require a legal document from the Indian government, whether it’s an NOC or an exit form. It’s become an unwritten rule over the last two years. Foreign correspondents of Afghan nationality have also faced issues leaving and re-entering India due to this,” a former Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint.
Currently there are two Afghan diplomats in the embassy and four to five local staff who remain employed after the rest were abruptly sacked in late September.
‘Taliban wants reciprocity’
India has not officially recognised the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. However, it has maintained a ‘technical team’ in Kabul since June 2022.
Delhi-based security analyst Sarral Sharma, who previously served in the National Security Council Secretariat, says the Taliban is potentially looking for “reciprocity”.
“If the Taliban allowed India to establish a technical team in Kabul, clearly they expect something in return. Perhaps, there’s also a concern in Delhi that the Chinese are ahead in this game and developing a more substantial presence there,” Sharma told ThePrint.
In September, China had appointed a new ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Sheng. Beijing said it was part of a routine shuffle but Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called it “a significant step, carrying a significant message”. Apart from China, six other nations maintain envoys in Kabul.
Some analysts say realpolitik — the art of conducting diplomatic or political policies based primarily on practical rather than moral or ideological principles — is at the core of India’s current policy towards Afghanistan.
Aziz Amin, a UK-based Fellow at Oxford Global Society and former principal secretary to ex-Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, explained that India continues to engage with the Taliban for four reasons.
“To carve out a strategic presence within Afghanistan, maintain a tangible presence on the ground, prevent the emergence of threats originating from Afghanistan and avoid the complete dependence of a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan on Pakistan,” he explained to ThePrint.
In March, the Taliban government was reportedly invited to join an Indian online professional training programme for foreign delegates on New Delhi’s invitation. Not only did this raise eyebrows about India’s engagement with the Taliban, it created a furore among Afghan students in India and those stuck in their home country who have “been left out to dry” after the Taliban’s ascent to power.
‘Encouraging diplomats to engage with Taliban’
According to the Vienna Convention, a host country cannot replace an ambassador without consent from the country from which he/she hails. “Members of the diplomatic staff of the mission may not be appointed from among persons having the nationality of the receiving State, except with the consent of that State which may be withdrawn at any time,” states Article 8 (2).
This becomes complex when there’s not just a regime change in the “sending” state, but also when the host country does not recognise that new regime.
No country has recognised the Taliban. However, in March, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted by local media as saying that diplomats of the former government are continuing their activities in various missions across the world “in coordination with the foreign ministry”. ThePrint reached Mujahid via WhatsApp messages to ask if Taliban is pursuing a similar dynamic in India but did not receive a response.
Currently, Mamundzay is unwilling to hand over his position to any of the Afghan consul generals in India as he believes they have been “encouraged” by the Indian government to engage with the Taliban.
“The Indian government has seemingly been in favour of encouraging our diplomats to engage with the Taliban. This dynamic is starkly exemplified by the situations at the Mumbai and Hyderabad consulate general offices,” Mamundzay told ThePrint.
Meanwhile, the MEA cannot accept any letter of correspondence from the Taliban recommending someone else as ambassador, because New Delhi does not recognise the regime.
This was evident in May when the Taliban sent a letter to the Afghan embassy in Delhi appointing Qadir Shah, the trade counsellor, as ambassador. Shah attempted to take over the embassy in the ambassador’s absence, but was unsuccessful and later disallowed from entering the mission. Sources in the embassy had at the time confirmed to ThePrint that they regularly receive letters from the Taliban but these are not entertained as the embassy represents the Republic, not the Islamic Emirate.
With Mamundzay unwilling to budge and the MEA unable to officially accept any correspondence from the Taliban, a “stalemate” had emerged, according to a source in the embassy.
ThePrint spoke to Acting-Consul General Ibrahimkhail (Hyderabad) who disputed claims that he is working with the Taliban, but also questioned the very existence of the Afghan republic.
“We are not supporting the Taliban,” he said. “But where is the republic? Where is the address of the republic?”
The Afghan consul generals in Hyderabad and Mumbai opposed Mamundzay in a joint statement released on 6 October, three days after holding extensive meetings with senior MEA officials in Delhi.
ډهلي ته مې دتګ په ترڅ کې دهند هېواد د بهرنیو چارو وازارت د لوړ پوړو چارواکو سره دلیدنې ترڅنګ د افغانانو اقلیتونو شوراګانو، سوداګرو او مهاجرینو له استازو سره دلیدنې ویاړ درلود، د دوی اندېښنې مې واورېدلې او ددې اندېښنو د لرې کولو لپاره د ګرانو هېوادوالو لپاره لاندې اعلامیه خپرو : pic.twitter.com/tIPCUbXJMf
— Zakia Wardak (@ZakiaWardak) October 6, 2023
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: Taliban appointee’s ‘expired’ visa complicates tussle over Afghan embassy in Delhi