Evacuation from Kabul: Former development minister: positive conclusion about Afghanistan

Despite Germany’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the former development minister Gerd Müller drew a positive conclusion about the development work in the country. Despite the “dramatic circumstances of the withdrawal” in connection with the Taliban coming to power in 2021, there have been no deaths among the Afghan local staff of German development cooperation, and no one is in prison, said the CSU politician in the Bundestag’s Afghanistan investigation committee in Berlin. “I see this as a very positive assessment of the measures taken in connection with the evacuation.”

There were also “no serious threats” to local staff in his decision-making area, said Müller. This is important as a balance sheet because it shows that one should not be accused of incorrectly assessing the risk. In the crisis team of his former ministry, an employee died of a heart attack.

Former Minister Müller defends cooperation in the government at the time

The former minister summarized that German development commitment in Afghanistan goes back 100 years. Millions of women have been educated, schools have been built with German tax money and 35 hospitals have been built or renovated. “What German development cooperation has achieved in Afghanistan is a lasting value,” said Müller. There was “excellent cooperation under great pressure” with the other German ministries affected.

Former Foreign Minister Maas in the investigative committee in the afternoon

In the afternoon, the committee wants to hear from former Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), one of the main people responsible for the hectic evacuation of the German embassy at the time. The committee should examine the circumstances of the evacuation in August 2021 and the decision-making processes with a view to accepting Afghan local staff.