The Taliban government on Tuesday said it was cutting ties with a slew of Afghan embassies in Western countries. The Taliban accused the diplomats there of being loyal to the country's former democratic government.

The 2021 takeover of Kabul by the Taliban has left many staffing Afghanistan's foreign missions in limbo. Few governments recognize the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan, though they have been able to install some new ambassadors in friendly countries such as Russia and China.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly urged the Afghan political and consular missions in European countries to engage with Kabul," a statement said.

"Unfortunately, the actions of most of the missions are carried out arbitrarily, without coordination and in explicit violation of the existing accepted principles."

The Taliban Foreign Ministry also said that it bears "no responsibility" for passport and visa issues faced by Afghan staff abroad if they refuse to acknowledge Taliban legitimacy.

Embassies struggle to keep lights on

The embassies affected by the decision include those in the UK, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Greece, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Canada and Australia.

Cut off from Kabul financially, these embassies have struggled in recent years to pay staff and their bills. In some Western countries, such as Spain and the Netherlands, the Afghan embassy staff have begun engaging with the Taliban government.

Many foreign countries as well as the United Nations have refused to deal with the Taliban over their repressive treatment of women.

es/rc (AFP, dpa)