Kabul is gripped by fear, panic and uncertainty after the Taliban seized Afghanistan in about a week. Thousands of people tried to flee the capital by air, and riots broke out at the airport. Several Bulgarians are in this hot spot of the world. The caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev announced that plans have already been launched to withdraw Bulgarian citizens from there.
One of these Bulgarians is Krasi Panchev, and his friend Anton Shukerov posted information about him on Facebook. In his post on social networks, Shukerov describes the situation experienced by our compatriots who are waiting to return to Bulgaria. He writes:
„Krasi has many years of experience in high-risk areas. For the past few years, he has been working in Kabul as a bodyguard for high-ranking diplomats in the European Union mission in Afghanistan. Days before the tension escalated there, he was on short-term leave in Bulgaria. Although he knew what awaited him, he did not hesitate to go back. We were together early last week and arrived back in Kabul on August 13th. I, as well as other friends, insisted that he postpone his departure, following the events there. He was adamant and said that all his life he prepares for moments like this! Arriving in Kabul, he immediately became involved in the preparation of the emergency evacuation mission. The entire security team made every effort, and the last few diplomats were evacuated by air on the morning of August 15. Krasi fulfilled her professional duty with honor! ”
Anton claims that the European Union has forgotten about the people who care about the security of their own diplomats in Afghanistan and have abandoned them. He clarified that the only point for evacuating people was by air from Kabul airport. It could have happened in the afternoon and evening of August 15, but by that time the airport had already come under rocket and mortar fire. According to Shukerov, the United States has taken immediate action and launched an evacuation operation. He says about 3,000 Marines have taken control of the airport and, together with the Turkish contingent, have ensured the successful landing and take-off of American military aircraft. Anton explains:
“Krasi and his colleagues managed to board „on board“ and in the early hours of August 16 arrived at a US military base in Qatar, on the territory where they are currently housed in a refugee camp, along with hundreds of people in distress. refugee status from a territory with military operations, where control over their identification, residence and future deployment is exercised by the Qatari authorities. For almost 3 days now, our boys have not been able to leave Qatar, even though they are Bulgarian citizens, do not seek asylum and have valid diplomatic passports ?! ”
Anton Shukerov explains that our Foreign Ministry, through our consul there, is taking steps to settle the movement of Bulgarians to their homeland, but so far to no avail. He does not accept that Bulgaria and the European Union, with all their resources at their disposal, cannot settle the issue within a day. Shukerov emphasizes that this is his personal opinion and adds:
„This is an interpretation of the events and does not involve in any way the subjects described in it.“
