The Solomon Islands Tuesday withdrew official recognition for Australia's top diplomat to the troubled South Pacific country, Australia's foreign minister said, a move that dramatically deepened a rift between the two nations.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare gave Australian High Commissioner Patrick Cole notice Tuesday after telling Prime Minister John Howard of his intentions in a telephone conversation on Monday, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

Sogavare told Howard he planned to "declare Patrick Cole persona non grata to kick him out of the Solomon Islands," Downer said. Sogavare alleged Cole had "been talking too much to the opposition" and had opposed an inquiry the leader has called into riots in the country's capital, Honiara, in April, Downer said.

"It's an extraordinary, frankly, rather outrageous thing to do to our high commissioner," Downer told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.

Downer said he expected Cole would have a few days to leave. The diplomatic mission would remain open, with Cole's deputy in charge.

Sogavare issued a brief statement late Tuesday confirming that he wanted Cole to leave, but did not elaborate on why.

Canberra is in an escalating row with Sogavare about the inquiry, which Downer said earlier Tuesday appeared aimed at shifting blame for the violence that razed the Chinese business district in Honiara away from the local officials and towards Australian police deployed in the country.

Senior Australian diplomat David Ritchie flew to the Solomons Tuesday to register Australia's concerns the investigation would undermine prosecutions against two local lawmakers accused of stirring up the violence.

"We believe that it will prejudice the outcome of court cases against two imprisoned members of parliament facing riot-related allegations and it will endeavor to cast blame for the riots on the police response, including the Australian police," Downer told parliament.

Downer said Australia would take an "appropriate measure" in response to Cole's expulsion, but indicated that would not include withdrawing the security forces because doing so would not help the Solomons people.

(China Daily September 13, 2006)