SG/SM/9216
25 March 2004
Secretary-General “Shocked and Outraged” at Killing of UN Mission Police Officers in Kosovo
NEW YORK, 24 March (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General is shocked and outraged at the killing last night in Kosovo of two United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) police officers -- one from Ghana and one from Kosovo itself. The two were shot dead by automatic gunfire while carrying out routine police work near Podujevo, in Pristina region. The international police officer was killed instantly; the Kosovo police officer later died of his wounds. An UNMIK language assistant was also shot and is in serious but stable condition.
The Secretary-General condemns this inexcusable act in the strongest possible terms. He sends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims -- and also to the Government of Ghana, whose police officers have served the United Nations with dedication and courage.
The current violence and instability in Kosovo cannot be tolerated. The targeting of UNMIK and Kosovo multinational security force (KFOR) staff must stop immediately. The Secretary-General calls on all inhabitants of Kosovo to cooperate with UNMIK and KFOR in support of the police investigation, so that those responsible for the killing of the police officers will be brought to justice.
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