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France

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Profile

France has a fraught history with U.S. and international military operations and long remained skeptical of NATO involvement in Afghanistan—the French military fully withdrew from Afghanistan in 2014. This history of skepticism may have informed the immediate French response to the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover, which included denouncements of the withdrawal and calls to stem the refugee flow into Europe. However, ultimately, French key interests—including humanitarian, economic, and terror concerns—appear to closely align with other western actors. In fact, the French have proactively organized humanitarian efforts and attempted to engage productively with the Taliban on critical development issues. Like other western actors, human rights abuses under the Taliban government represent a significant barrier to more comprehensive engagement.

Key Interests & Priorities

1. Humanitarian Assistance

France has demonstrated an interest in providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. In September 2021, the French promised a $100 million USD contribution to UN humanitarian efforts. In November 2021, the French government donated $25 million USD to the World Food Programme to counter food insecurity in Afghanistan. In December 2021, the French government partnered with Qatar to offer assistance to medical institutions in Afghanistan. The French approach to Afghan migrants has been mixed. Macron’s initial calls in August 2021 to stem the flow of refugees and the strict French criteria for refugee visas raised concerns that the French government would not readily welcome Afghan migrants. Other French officials, including mayors, have called for more open policies. France has also engaged with the Taliban on potential economic development support that would help create a stable, prosperous, and self-sustaining Afghanistan. However, those talks have not yielded any results.

2. Human Rights

Women’s rights in Afghanistan continue to be a prominent interest for global actors. Especially given it’s self-declared feminist foreign policy, France is no exception. The French government has consistently called out the growing restrictions on Afghan women under the Taliban government. President Macron was an early advocate for the conditioning of Taliban recognition on the maintenance of women’s and girl’s rights, calling on the G20 to establish such guidelines in October 2021. Along with many other global actors, France decried the Taliban’s girls’ educational ban in March 2022.

3. International Terrorism

Like many other global and regional actors, France has consistently reiterated its strong desire to limit the prospects for international terrorism based in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s friendly relations with multiple international terror organizations, including Al Qaeda, and their lack of state capacity has raised concerns about the expansion of terrorist activities and capabilities in Afghanistan. On August 16, 2021, shortly after the Taliban takeover, President Macron declared the French interest to prevent the return of a “sanctuary” for terrorists in the country. Since then, France has echoed these sentiments on multiple occasions, including in a May 2022 joint statement with India.

4. Inclusive Government

Like other western powers, France has stipulated the creation of an inclusive and representative government that respects human and minority rights as one of the main preconditions for the diplomatic recognition of the regime in Afghanistan. In September 2021, France expressed disappointment with the make-up of the interim Taliban administration, saying the group failed to live up to its promises of offering a more moderate and inclusive style of leadership. France has continually emphasized a genuine and credible inclusive political process in Afghanistan is crucial for lasting peace and stability in the country.

Relationships

Allies

US
UK
GER

Partners

UAE
TUR
QAT
KSA
IND

Rivals

Adversaries

AAOs

PRC
IRA
RUS
HQN
IEA

AFGHANISTAN NEGOTIATION PROJECT

Previously based at:

Negotiation Task Force (NTF)

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University

1730 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

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© 2023 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College

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