Francois Hollande: Our Afghanistan mission is over

 
Mission not over: Francois Hollande
Bo Wilson25 May 2012

French president Francois Hollande today made a surprise visit to his country’s troops in Afghanistan and told them their mission was finished.

He said it was time for them to leave — and while the early exit would be co-ordinated with Nato allies it was France’s decision to make.

At Nijrab base in the north-eastern province of Kapisa, Mr Hollande defended his decision to pull out of the country two years before the rest of the Nato contingent.

He said: “It’s a sovereign decision. Only France can decide what France does. It will be conducted in good understanding with our allies, especially President Obama, who understands the reasons, and in close consultation with Afghan authorities.

“Without having totally disappeared, the terrorist threat from Afghanistan to our and our allies’ territory has been partially curbed.”

Mr Hollande’s trip was his first to the country. He is also due to hold talks with Afghan president Hamid Karzai.

French disillusionment with the war has been increasing and Mr Hollande’s predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy had already moved forward the date for the country’s soldiers to leave to next year after French troops were killed by an Afghan they were training.

Mr Hollande’s pledge to end France’s involvement early was a major talking point at the Nato summit in Chicago, prompting fears of a domino effect of other allies withdrawing early. The date for the French withdrawal is expected to be announced soon.

Mr Hollande has suggested non-combat troops may remain longer, but added that the time had come for Afghans to “take the path they choose freely” in their country’s future.

French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and foreign minister Laurent Fabius are in Kabul with Mr Hollande, as well as his chief of the defence staff Admiral Edouard Guillaud.

Eighty-three French soldiers have died since the beginning of the war. France provides the fifth largest contingent of the 130,000-strong US-led Nato force.

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