United Nations - A German official from the UN Development Programme is to succeed Mr Denis Halliday as co-ordinator of the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq, a UN spokesman said yesterday. The spokesman, Mr Fred Eckhard, announced at a briefing that Mr Hans von Sponeck, who currently works in Geneva as UNDP regional representative and director of European affairs, would take up his new duties towards the end of October.
Mr Halliday, an Irish national who had a tense relationship with UN headquarters, leaves Iraq tomorrow, after deciding to resign for personal reasons.