Tehran- IRAF- Shida Abdali, the ambassador appointed by the previous Afghan government in Tokyo, announced that she has left Japan and handed over the embassy building.
In a message posted on platform X, Abdali described her mission as “unfinished” and wrote that she can no longer continue to advance the embassy’s affairs, forcing her to leave her post.
She cited the current conditions and administrative and political restrictions as making it impossible to continue the embassy’s activities in the current situation.
This comes after the Afghan Embassy in Tokyo had previously announced in an official notice that it would suspend all political and consular activities from December 26 to January 31, a move that was seen as a sign of a possible complete closure of the embassy.
Uncertainty Surrounding Afghanistan’s Representation in Japan
Despite the ambassador’s departure and suspension of activities, the Taliban government has not made any official statement about appointing a new ambassador, assigning an acting representative, or taking over the Afghan Embassy in Japan.
This silence has left the embassy in a state of limbo, with no clear indication of who will assume responsibility for it.
In the absence of an official statement, it is unclear what decision the Japanese government will make regarding the embassy’s legal and administrative status, and whether the Afghan representation in Tokyo will be completely closed or remain suspended.
Closure of Afghan Embassies: A Continuing Trend
The suspension of the Afghan Embassy in Japan comes as several Afghan embassies in countries around the world have faced closure or restrictions in recent years.
Following the political changes in Afghanistan, some embassies that continued to coordinate with the previous government faced financial, administrative, and legal challenges, and in some cases, were forced to suspend operations.
Some countries have also announced that they can no longer maintain diplomatic relations with embassies that cooperate with the former Afghan government.
This trend has resulted in a significant reduction and disruption of Afghanistan’s diplomatic network abroad.
