Radio Netherlands Worldwide has been told the United Nations most senior envoy in Afghanistan, Kai Eide, is not going to resign or be dismissed. Mr Eide’s deputy Robert Watkins made the comments in an interview with RNW.

The International Crisis Group last week recommended Mr Eide be dismissed in the wake of Afghanistan's fraudulent election in August. The influential international think-tank says his poor performance has damaged the UN's credibility. Mr Watkins argues, however, that it was actually Mr Eide who saw to it that the electoral fraud came to light.

He also told RNW that the UN's Afghan mission will be back to full strength in January. Last month, the organisation pulled out about 600 of its staff after 12 people, including six foreign UN workers, died in an attack on a UN building in Kabul.