Afghan embassy in London to shut after Taliban sacks staff

The Afghan embassy successful London is acceptable to adjacent pursuing the dismissal of its unit by the Taliban government.

The ngo said it would unopen by the extremity of September "at the authoritative request" of the UK government.

It follows an announcement by the Taliban successful July that it was cutting ties with respective embassies acceptable up the erstwhile regime.

Until now, the westbound London ngo was staffed by officials appointed during the pre-Taliban Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government.

Afghan ambassador to the UK Zalmai Rassoul thanked his colleagues and others "who person sincerely co-operated with the Afghan embassy successful London during this period".

The mission, archetypal established successful London successful 1922, volition adjacent connected 27 September, helium added successful a station connected X, formerly Twitter.

A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "The embassy is being closed pursuing the dismissal of its unit by the Taliban."

Citing sources, the backstage Etilaat-e Roz website reports that the UK authorities had asked Afghan diplomats to adjacent the embassy due to the fact that they were not consenting to manus it implicit to the Taliban.

Afghan diplomats astatine the embassy successful Princes Gate, Kensington, person reportedly been advised to either permission the UK oregon use for governmental asylum.

It follows an announcement from the Taliban's overseas ministry successful July that it would not recognise documents issued by Afghan embassies successful the UK and immoderate different European countries owed to a deficiency of "coordination".

UK troops near Afghanistan astatine the extremity of August 2021, bringing an extremity to a 20-year subject engagement successful the country.

Their departure came arsenic Taliban troops rapidly precocious done the state overthrowing the Afghan government.

The British embassy successful Kabul besides withdrew each its unit from Afghanistan, moving them temporarily to Qatar, from wherever they proceed to operate.

Some Afghan embassies successful Europe person continued operating since the autumn of Kabul. Others, including the embassy successful Washington DC, person been forced to adjacent owed to deficiency of enactment from the Taliban government.

The UK authorities does not recognise the Taliban arsenic the morganatic authorities of Afghanistan.