Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
KABUL – Norway has declared it will not accredit any new Afghan envoy appointed by the Taliban, citing grave concerns over the regime’s worsening restrictions on women and girls. The announcement marks a significant diplomatic stance against the Taliban, who seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 but remain unrecognized internationally.
“The Taliban’s recent policies, particularly targeting Afghan women and girls, are unacceptable,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated on Thursday. “We have made it clear that there is no question of accepting a new Afghan ambassador in Oslo under these circumstances.”
This decision follows the closure of Afghanistan’s embassy in Oslo on September 12, previously run by officials loyal to the ousted Western-backed government. Norwegian authorities confirmed the closure was at the Taliban’s request, although the Taliban’s appointees were denied recognition.
Norway will only allow an Afghan official in Oslo to manage consular affairs, such as visas and urgent matters, while broader diplomatic relations remain frozen.
The Taliban’s oppressive policies have sparked global outrage, with women and girls in Afghanistan banned from secondary and higher education and increasingly excluded from public life. Norway’s decision mirrors similar actions in other countries, such as the closure of Afghanistan’s embassy in London following the dismissal of its staff by the Taliban.
This hardline approach underscores mounting international pressure on the Taliban to reverse its draconian measures against women and uphold basic human rights.
