Le chef de la mission de l'Onu au Kosovo (Minuk), le Finlandais Harri
Holkeri, a annoncé sa démission, hier, officiellement pour «raisons de
santé», une décision accueillie avec satisfaction par Belgrade qui lui
reproche sa gestion des violences antiSerbes au Kosovo en mars dernier.

RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 8, No. 98, Part II, 25 May 2004

CHIEF OF UN'S KOSOVA MISSION RESIGNS. Harri Holkeri, who heads the UN
civilian administration in Kosova (UNMIK), said in Helsinki on 25 May
that he has submitted his resignation "based on...my doctor's
recommendation," Reuters reported. Holkeri was recently hospitalized
in France for what was described as exhaustion and then underwent
further medical checks in his native Finland. Before and after the
17-18 March unrest in Kosova, many inside and outside that province
criticized his performance in office. Several Serbian leaders openly
called for his resignation and former U.S. Ambassador Richard
Holbrooke said that Holkeri does "not understand the situation" in
Kosova. His one-year term was due to expire in August (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 14 May 2004, and "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 1 August 2003,
and 2 and 16 April 2004). Holkeri's deputy is Charles Brayshaw, an
American. It is not clear who will succeed Holkeri, but the post is
expected to go again to a European. PM