The Afghan embassy in Kensington, west London, will officially close on 27 September, following the dismissal of its staff by the Taliban government.

The mission announced it would shut down "at the official request" of the UK government.

This closure comes after the Taliban's decision in July to sever ties with several embassies established by the former Afghan regime. Until now, the London mission had been staffed by officials appointed during the pre-Taliban Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government.

Afghan Ambassador to the UK, Zalmai Rassoul, expressed gratitude to his colleagues and those who had supported the embassy during this period. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he confirmed that the mission, originally established in 1922, will cease operations on 27 September.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office explained that the embassy's closure follows the Taliban's dismissal of its staff. According to sources reported by the private Etilaat-e Roz website, the UK government requested Afghan diplomats to shut the embassy, as they were unwilling to hand control over to the Taliban.

Afghan diplomats stationed at the Kensington embassy have reportedly been advised to either leave the UK or apply for political asylum. This development follows a July announcement by the Taliban's foreign ministry, stating that it would no longer recognize documents issued by Afghan embassies in the UK and other European countries due to a lack of "coordination."

The closure comes more than two years after the UK military's withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, which ended the country's 20-year involvement in the region. During the Taliban's rapid takeover, the British embassy in Kabul evacuated its staff, relocating temporarily to Qatar, where it continues to operate.

While some Afghan embassies in Europe have remained operational since the fall of Kabul, others, including the embassy in Washington DC, have been forced to close due to a lack of support from the Taliban government. Notably, the UK government does not recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate government. Photo by Sdrawkcab at English Wikipedia.