Diplomats to leave Afghanistan

Updated 17.54 Wed Dec 26 2007

Keywords: European Union, United Nations, Afghanistan

A British and an Irish diplomat are to leave Afghanistan on Thursday, amid claims they had been "detrimental" to national security.

The Afghan authorities asked that the two officials leave following a visit to the southern province of Helmand, a United Nations spokesman said.

"We do not believe there is any basis for any UN official to need to leave the country, and we're making this position clear to the government of Afghanistan" - Aleem Siddique

The pair are a UN employee and a person who works for the European Union. The UN said one is an Irish national and the other is a Briton from Northern Ireland

The office of President Hamid Karzai alleges that the two diplomats were involved in activities "that were not their jobs".

Aleem Siddique, a spokesman for the UN mission, said the two officials had been talking to people on the ground, but strongly denied that this included Taliban militants.

"We see no basis for such a decision but we respect the sovereignty of the government of Afghanistan and have every intention to abide by that decision," he said.

"We are hopeful to get their return as soon as possible."

He said earlier: "We see this as a misunderstanding of what people were doing in Helmand.

"We don't talk to Taliban, full stop."

The news comes amid claims the British secret service has engaged in peace talks with senior Taliban insurgents in the country.