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JAKARTA - The United Nations mission in East Timor finally has a new boss, ending months of speculation.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today appointed veteran Indian diplomat Atul Khare to the post of special representative to the tiny nation.
The new mission has been without a head since the end of September after 62-year-old former president of Africa's Cape Verde Antonio Macarenhas Monteiro was briefly appointed to the job, only to apparently change his mind.
Khare, who has served as director of the Nehru Centre and minister (culture) of the Indian High Commission in London since last year, faces a daunting task to help East Timor recover from months of violence.
East Timor's capital continues to be rocked by sporadic violence, as next year's national elections draw closer.
Dr Khare has previous experience in East Timor, serving in the former UNMISET mission from June 2002 until May 2005, first as chief of staff and later the deputy special representative of the mission. The UN shepherded East Timor to independence in 2002 after it citizens overwhelmingly voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999.
However, fresh violence erupted in April after a third of the armed forces was sacked, killing dozens of people and driving more than 150,000 from their homes.
Dr Khare, whose appointment was flagged by Kofi Annan last month, replaces Japan's Sukehiro Hasegawa who led the former UN mission from 2004. His posting ended at the end of September.
Dr Khare became a member of the Indian foreign service in 1984, and served in Mauritius, New York, Thailand, Senegal and France.
He also holds degrees in medicine and surgery, with masters from the University of Southern Queensland in both business administration and leadership.
- AAP
