UN's Ban names new Afghan envoy

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has nominated Norwegian diplomat Kai Eide to be the next UN envoy in Afghanistan. Mr Ban's earlier choice of Britain's Paddy Ashdown was blocked by the Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Mr Eide is currently the political director of Norway's ministry of foreign affairs and is a former ambassador to Nato. He is expected to take a more prominent role co-ordinating international reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

Hamid Karzai vetoed Ban Ki-moon's choice of Paddy Ashdown for the key UN job in Afghanistan fearing, say diplomats, that his authority would be challenged. Lord Ashdown served as the UN's High Representative and EU envoy to Bosnia from 2002 to 2005.

Mr Ban has written to the 15 members of the UN Security Council informing them of his intention to appoint Mr Eide. Now the Security Council must discuss the appointment, but diplomats say there is no reason to believe that Mr Ban's choice will not be endorsed. The Afghan government will support this appointment, sources tell the BBC.

Source: BBC News