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 06 July 2008 01:19 BST

UN names Norwegian diplomat as special envoy for Afghanistan

Friday, 07 Mar 2008 13:56
Kai Eide has been named the new Afghanistan envoy
The United Nations (UN) has named a senior Norwegian diplomat as the new special envoy for Afghanistan.

Secretary general Ban Ki-Moon named Kai Eide as the UN envoy yesterday, replacing Germany's Tom Koenigs.

The UN's preferred candidate Lord Ashdown was previously rejected by the country's president Hamid Karzai.

Mr Eide, 59, is a former ambassador to Nato and also served as a UN envoy in the Balkans.

Upon taking the role Mr Eide is expected to increase the coordination of international reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, where Nato is continuing to fight the Taliban insurgency after the group was ousted from power seven years ago.

The position of special envoy to the country has been surrounded in controversy since Lord Ashdown was rejected by Mr Karzai after fears that he would undermine the president's leadership.

Lord Ashdown's withdrawal of his candidacy, after Mr Karzai made his views known, was met by considerable disappointment in the west, especially by the US which had hoped for a strong candidate to help in the rebuilding process in Afghanistan.End of story


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