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Displaced Afghans sit in a tent at a makeshift IDP camp in Share-e-Naw park in Kabul, Afghanistan, in this August 12 2021 file photo. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/PAULA BRONSTEIN
Displaced Afghans sit in a tent at a makeshift IDP camp in Share-e-Naw park in Kabul, Afghanistan, in this August 12 2021 file photo. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/PAULA BRONSTEIN

The department of international relations and co-operation says contact has been made with a number of South Africans in Afghanistan, to ensure their safety after Taliban insurgents entered the country’s capital, Kabul, at the weekend.

“[The department] has established, via the SA High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, that they are in contact with a number of SA nationals based in Afghanistan to ensure their safety and provide the necessary consular assistance,” departmental spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.

The department said SA nationals who were in Afghanistan and in need of assistance should contact the consular section of the department on 012-351-100, islamabad.consular@dirco.gov.za or the SA High Commission in Islamabad on +92-304-371-1869.

“The SA government has taken note of the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and is particularly concerned by the plight of thousands of displaced people seeking safety and security amid the deepening crisis in Afghanistan,” Monyela said.

The government has called on the authority in power in Afghanistan to ensure that the rule of law, human rights and safety of all Afghans and foreign nationals alike are protected.

“We wish to appeal to all military and security groups to exercise the utmost restraint and protect the lives and property of the people. The SA government furthermore encourages all Afghan parties involved in the internal conflict to ceaselessly search for a solution through dialogue, restoration of stability and an orderly transition to a new government.”

Meanwhile, Gift of the Givers said it had not received any requests to assist South Africans stranded in Afghanistan.

TimesLIVE

Two decades after they were removed by the US military the Taliban marched into Kabul on August 15 2021 and have once again seized power in Afghanistan. This comes two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal. The insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies disappeared.

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