The commander of NATO peacekeeping forces in Kosovo (KFOR) has praised the troops for their work in the region as he prepared to leave his post Friday. German General Holger Kamerhoff, who is leaving Kosovo after almost a year in charge, told a farewell conference in Pristina that the troops had done an "excellent job". "I am proud to have been the commander of these KFOR-troops," Kamerhoff added. He made this assessment despite strong international criticism on the performance of the NATO-led force during the 17-18 March riots, when 19 people were killed, over 900 were injured, some 500 houses burned and more than 4,000 people were forced to flee. General Kamerhoff however acknowledged that "the riots of mid- March have influenced the tenure of my command very much". Kamerhoff said that since the March riots KFOR has improved its abilities, with changes in the rules of engagement of the different national military contingents and stronger cooperation with the United Nations police and with the local police force. "I feel much more confident today," General Kamerhoff told reporters. He also downplayed recent claims by Serbian officials in Belgrade of upcoming violence against the Serbian minority community in Kosovo. "There are no indications for new violence, on the contrary...," General Kamerhoff said claiming "the security situation has improved significantly in the last few months".
