Germany’s Foreign Ministry has said it does not recognize a Taliban-appointed diplomat as to run Afghanistan’s diplomatic mission in Berlin, after reports that the Taliban replaced the current envoy without informing German authorities.
German media reported last week that the Taliban had dismissed Abdulbaqi Popal, who had been serving as chargé d’affaires at Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin, and appointed one of their own diplomats in his place. The reports said the move was made without notifying the German government.
The reported change follows earlier shifts in Afghanistan’s diplomatic representation in Germany. In late 2024, Yama Yari, an ambassador from the former government, stepped down from his post in Berlin. Informed sources told Amu TV that his departure came under pressure from German authorities, a claim the German government denied at the time.
After Yari’s departure, Popal, also affiliated with the former government, was appointed as acting head of mission. German media reported that he was removed from that role by the Taliban and reassigned.
Popal, who was born in Kandahar, previously worked in Afghanistan’s Independent Directorate of Local Governance and later served as a diplomat at the embassy in Berlin before assuming its leadership.
A person familiar with the matter told Amu TV that the Taliban made the decision without informing Berlin. According to that account, the Taliban are attempting to maintain a dual arrangement: presenting Popal as acting head of mission in dealings with the German government while internally assigning authority to a Taliban-aligned diplomat. The same source said Popal had effectively been reassigned as a local staff member within the embassy.
In response, a spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry told Deutsche Welle that Berlin had not been notified of any personnel changes at Afghanistan’s mission. The spokesperson added that Germany does not accept a Taliban representative as the acting head of the embassy.
Afghanistan maintains, in addition to its embassy in Berlin, consulates in Bonn and Munich. According to available information, the Taliban have also placed several diplomats in the Bonn consulate.
The developments come as human rights advocates, women’s protest movements and some Afghan citizens continue to urge foreign governments to prioritize human rights and the interests of the Afghan people in any engagement with the Taliban.
