Mitrovice [Kosovska Mitrovica], 29 April: UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] police today handed over in a solemn ceremony the police station in Mitrovice south to the Kosova [Kosovo] Police Service [ShPK].
The commander of the Kosova Police Station, Sheremet Ahmeti, described it as a big day not only for the ShPK but also for the whole Mitrovice.
The representatives of Kfor [Kosovo Force], Kosova Protection Corps [TMK], UNMIK Police and OSCE took part in the solemn ceremony.
The police station in Mitrovice south started work in 1 November 1999. It numbers 139 police officers, three lieutenants and 12 sergeants.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 29 Apr 05
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Kosovo president says independence to "stabilize" Balkans - paper
Vienna, 30 April: Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova has said that he will not abandon [the idea of] Kosovo independence and direct recognition by the EU and USA.
In a statement to Vienna newspaper Die Presse he assessed that independence would contribute to stability in the Balkans and Kosovo society.
"The independence of Kosovo will stabilize Macedonia, which has a large Albanian community, as well as Albania, Montenegro, even Serbia," Rugova said.
He said that resolving Kosovo's status in phases would only prolong the situation and stressed that direct recognition was a better option.
"The international community first wants to analyse whether we have fulfilled the necessary standards and only after to turn to the matter of status. The phased approach proposed by the [Brussels-based] International Commission on the Balkans would only complicate matters," Rugova believes.
He said that he did not give much significance to the prospect of meeting and holding talks with Serbian President Boris Tadic.
"Representatives of Belgrade and Pristina are already discussing technical matters. Serbia could participate in an international conference on Kosovo, although without the right to a veto on the future status of Kosovo," Rugova emphasized.
"The progress we have made in Kosovo has brought us international recognition. Now the question is one of independence recognition, which for us has a practical meaning, because without it we do not have access to international financial institutions and are unable to open diplomatic missions abroad," Rugova concluded.
Source: Mina news agency, Podgorica, in Serbian 1104 gmt 30 Apr 05
In a statement to Vienna newspaper Die Presse he assessed that independence would contribute to stability in the Balkans and Kosovo society.
"The independence of Kosovo will stabilize Macedonia, which has a large Albanian community, as well as Albania, Montenegro, even Serbia," Rugova said.
He said that resolving Kosovo's status in phases would only prolong the situation and stressed that direct recognition was a better option.
"The international community first wants to analyse whether we have fulfilled the necessary standards and only after to turn to the matter of status. The phased approach proposed by the [Brussels-based] International Commission on the Balkans would only complicate matters," Rugova believes.
He said that he did not give much significance to the prospect of meeting and holding talks with Serbian President Boris Tadic.
"Representatives of Belgrade and Pristina are already discussing technical matters. Serbia could participate in an international conference on Kosovo, although without the right to a veto on the future status of Kosovo," Rugova emphasized.
"The progress we have made in Kosovo has brought us international recognition. Now the question is one of independence recognition, which for us has a practical meaning, because without it we do not have access to international financial institutions and are unable to open diplomatic missions abroad," Rugova concluded.
Source: Mina news agency, Podgorica, in Serbian 1104 gmt 30 Apr 05
President Rugova: The Time of Hate in Kosovo is Over - Interview in German for the Austrian Daily
"Im Kosovo ist die Zeit des Hasses vorüber"
Von unserer Korrespondentin GERTRAUD ILLMEIER (Die Presse) 30.04.2005
Präsident Rugova beharrt auf rascher Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit Kosovos durch EU und USA.
Unermüdlicher Kämpfer für Unabhängigkeit. Rugova hält nichts von direkten Verhandlungen mit den Serben. | (c) epa
Die Presse: Ihr Standpunkt hat bisher gelautet, dass die EU und die USA direkt die Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo anerkennen sollen. Werden Sie diesen Standpunkt nicht modifizieren müssen? Die UN-Mission im Kosovo (Unmik) sagt schließlich, dass das letzte Wort über die staatliche Zukunft des Kosovo der UN-Sicherheitsrat hat.
Ibrahim Rugova: Nein, ich werde das nicht modifizieren. Ich bestehe auf die direkte Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo durch die EU und die USA. Das würde diesem Teil Europas und auch der kosovarischen Gesellschaft Stabilität bringen. Die Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo wird Mazedonien, wo es eine zahlenmäßig große albanische Gemeinschaft gibt, stabilisieren, genauso wie Albanien, Montenegro und sogar Serbien.
Die internationale Gemeinschaft will zuerst evaluieren, ob wir alle nötigen Standards erfüllen und dann erst die Frage behandeln, wie der zukünftige Status des Kosovo aussieht. Wir werden die internationalen Partner dabei nicht behindern. Aber ich beharre auf der raschen Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit, weil das die bessere Alternative ist.
Kürzlich hat ein wichtiger Think Tank, die Internationale Kommission für den Balkan, ein viel beachtetes Lösungsmodell vorgestellt. Es sieht einen Vier-Stufen-Plan vor, der dem Kosovo in einigen Jahren die Unabhängigkeit bringen soll. Was halten Sie davon?
Rugova: Ich denke, dass die direkte Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit eine bessere und gesündere Option ist. Dieser Zugang in Phasen verkompliziert die Sache nur. Wir sind bereits seit sechs Jahren in der Phase eines vorübergehenden Status. Wenn bei Verhandlungen der Status des Kosovo zunächst offen bleibt, würde das nur unseren Nachbarn die Möglichkeit für Manipulationen bieten.
Von verschiedenen Seiten, unter anderem von den USA, Russland und den wichtigsten EU-Staaten, kamen aber Signale, dass eine sofortige Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo eher auszuschließen ist.
Rugova: Ich bestehe aber darauf und dafür arbeite ich. Die Fortschritte, die wir im Kosovo gemacht haben, haben international Anerkennung gefunden.
Nun geht es um die Frage der Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit. Diese hat für uns auch eine praktische Bedeutung, denn ohne sie haben wir keinen Zugang zu internationalen Finanzinstituten und können keine diplomatischen Vertretungen im Ausland einrichten.
Wir sind jetzt in der Phase, in der wir uns auf die innere Entwicklung im Kosovo konzentrieren. Die Zeit des Hasses ist vorüber.
Kosovos politische Parteien haben sich bisher noch auf keine gemeinsame Plattform für die Verhandlungen über die Zukunft der Provinz geeinigt. Wer soll nun bei den Statusverhandlungen die kosovarische Delegation anführen?
Rugova: Es ist im Kosovo wie überall: Wir haben eine Regierung und eine Opposition, die naturgemäß die Regierung kritisiert. Wir sind aber nicht zerstritten. Ein Teil der internationalen Gemeinschaft hat sich offenbar noch nicht daran gewöhnt, dass wir jetzt im Kosovo Demokratie haben. Die gemeinsame Plattform aller Parteien heißt Unabhängigkeit, darin sind wir uns einig. Wenn es Statusgespräche geben sollte, wird die Opposition mit an Bord sein. Selbstverständlich werden die Gespräche von den legalen Institutionen des Kosovo geleitet werden.
Die Staatengemeinschaft besteht auf Direktgesprächen zwischen Ihnen und Serbiens Präsidenten Boris Tadic. Ihre Bedingung ist, dass ein solches Treffen nur im Rahmen einer internationalen Konferenz stattfinden kann. Im Mai gibt es in Paris eine Geberkonferenz für den Wiederaufbau der im Vorjahr zerstörten religiösen Stätten. Wäre dies ein möglicher Ort für ein Treffen?
Rugova: Ich messe einem solchen Treffen keine große Bedeutung zu. Es gibt ohnehin bereits Gespräche zwischen Belgrad und Pristina über technische Fragen. Serbien kann auch gerne an einer internationalen Konferenz zu Kosovo teilnehmen - aber ohne das Recht, ein Veto gegen den künftigen Status des Kosovo einlegen zu dürfen.
Von unserer Korrespondentin GERTRAUD ILLMEIER (Die Presse) 30.04.2005
Präsident Rugova beharrt auf rascher Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit Kosovos durch EU und USA.
Unermüdlicher Kämpfer für Unabhängigkeit. Rugova hält nichts von direkten Verhandlungen mit den Serben. | (c) epa
Die Presse: Ihr Standpunkt hat bisher gelautet, dass die EU und die USA direkt die Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo anerkennen sollen. Werden Sie diesen Standpunkt nicht modifizieren müssen? Die UN-Mission im Kosovo (Unmik) sagt schließlich, dass das letzte Wort über die staatliche Zukunft des Kosovo der UN-Sicherheitsrat hat.
Ibrahim Rugova: Nein, ich werde das nicht modifizieren. Ich bestehe auf die direkte Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo durch die EU und die USA. Das würde diesem Teil Europas und auch der kosovarischen Gesellschaft Stabilität bringen. Die Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo wird Mazedonien, wo es eine zahlenmäßig große albanische Gemeinschaft gibt, stabilisieren, genauso wie Albanien, Montenegro und sogar Serbien.
Die internationale Gemeinschaft will zuerst evaluieren, ob wir alle nötigen Standards erfüllen und dann erst die Frage behandeln, wie der zukünftige Status des Kosovo aussieht. Wir werden die internationalen Partner dabei nicht behindern. Aber ich beharre auf der raschen Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit, weil das die bessere Alternative ist.
Kürzlich hat ein wichtiger Think Tank, die Internationale Kommission für den Balkan, ein viel beachtetes Lösungsmodell vorgestellt. Es sieht einen Vier-Stufen-Plan vor, der dem Kosovo in einigen Jahren die Unabhängigkeit bringen soll. Was halten Sie davon?
Rugova: Ich denke, dass die direkte Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit eine bessere und gesündere Option ist. Dieser Zugang in Phasen verkompliziert die Sache nur. Wir sind bereits seit sechs Jahren in der Phase eines vorübergehenden Status. Wenn bei Verhandlungen der Status des Kosovo zunächst offen bleibt, würde das nur unseren Nachbarn die Möglichkeit für Manipulationen bieten.
Von verschiedenen Seiten, unter anderem von den USA, Russland und den wichtigsten EU-Staaten, kamen aber Signale, dass eine sofortige Unabhängigkeit des Kosovo eher auszuschließen ist.
Rugova: Ich bestehe aber darauf und dafür arbeite ich. Die Fortschritte, die wir im Kosovo gemacht haben, haben international Anerkennung gefunden.
Nun geht es um die Frage der Anerkennung der Unabhängigkeit. Diese hat für uns auch eine praktische Bedeutung, denn ohne sie haben wir keinen Zugang zu internationalen Finanzinstituten und können keine diplomatischen Vertretungen im Ausland einrichten.
Wir sind jetzt in der Phase, in der wir uns auf die innere Entwicklung im Kosovo konzentrieren. Die Zeit des Hasses ist vorüber.
Kosovos politische Parteien haben sich bisher noch auf keine gemeinsame Plattform für die Verhandlungen über die Zukunft der Provinz geeinigt. Wer soll nun bei den Statusverhandlungen die kosovarische Delegation anführen?
Rugova: Es ist im Kosovo wie überall: Wir haben eine Regierung und eine Opposition, die naturgemäß die Regierung kritisiert. Wir sind aber nicht zerstritten. Ein Teil der internationalen Gemeinschaft hat sich offenbar noch nicht daran gewöhnt, dass wir jetzt im Kosovo Demokratie haben. Die gemeinsame Plattform aller Parteien heißt Unabhängigkeit, darin sind wir uns einig. Wenn es Statusgespräche geben sollte, wird die Opposition mit an Bord sein. Selbstverständlich werden die Gespräche von den legalen Institutionen des Kosovo geleitet werden.
Die Staatengemeinschaft besteht auf Direktgesprächen zwischen Ihnen und Serbiens Präsidenten Boris Tadic. Ihre Bedingung ist, dass ein solches Treffen nur im Rahmen einer internationalen Konferenz stattfinden kann. Im Mai gibt es in Paris eine Geberkonferenz für den Wiederaufbau der im Vorjahr zerstörten religiösen Stätten. Wäre dies ein möglicher Ort für ein Treffen?
Rugova: Ich messe einem solchen Treffen keine große Bedeutung zu. Es gibt ohnehin bereits Gespräche zwischen Belgrad und Pristina über technische Fragen. Serbien kann auch gerne an einer internationalen Konferenz zu Kosovo teilnehmen - aber ohne das Recht, ein Veto gegen den künftigen Status des Kosovo einlegen zu dürfen.
Montenegrin Speaker invites Serbian, Kosovo leaders for status talks - paper
Text of report by Montenegrin Mina news agency
Podgorica, 30 April: Montenegrin Speaker Ranko Krivokapic has invited the political leadership of Serbia and Kosovo to meet in Montenegro for the start of talks on the final status of Serbia's southern province.
He said that Montenegro wanted to help resolve relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
"I have indicated a few times now that Montenegro will offer its services as a good host and I still stand behind this invitation. Podgorica is ready from tomorrow to meet the conditions for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina," Krivokapic told [the Podgorica-based daily] Dan.
According to him, it is in Montenegro's interest for these talks to begin and for a resolution of the political situation in the Balkans.
"Our aim is for Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement. Montenegro will be satisfied if they are satisfied, which again will contribute to the stabilization of conditions and security in the Balkans," Krivokapic pointed out.
Podgorica, 30 April: Montenegrin Speaker Ranko Krivokapic has invited the political leadership of Serbia and Kosovo to meet in Montenegro for the start of talks on the final status of Serbia's southern province.
He said that Montenegro wanted to help resolve relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
"I have indicated a few times now that Montenegro will offer its services as a good host and I still stand behind this invitation. Podgorica is ready from tomorrow to meet the conditions for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina," Krivokapic told [the Podgorica-based daily] Dan.
According to him, it is in Montenegro's interest for these talks to begin and for a resolution of the political situation in the Balkans.
"Our aim is for Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement. Montenegro will be satisfied if they are satisfied, which again will contribute to the stabilization of conditions and security in the Balkans," Krivokapic pointed out.
Kosovo Serb villages reconnected to power grid
Lipljan: Lipljan and five nearby villages early this morning received electricity supplies, after an almost five-month blackout.
The villages of Skulanevo, Suvi Do, Radevo, Lepine and Novo Naselje have been reconnected to the power grid. The Serb representative in talks with Lipljan municipality president Dzevat Oluri, Slavko Janicijevic, told the Beta agency that two thirds of citizens' power bills had been paid, adding that it had been agreed that every household should pay a flat rate of 26.5 euros for electricity spent last month.
The Serb part of Lipljan and five nearby villages had been without electricity since 20 December last year [2004], when a breakdown occurred, after which the Kosovo Energy Corporation [KEK] said that it could not repair it for lack of funds.
Source: Radio B92 text web site, Belgrade, in Serbian 1057 gmt 30 Apr 05
The villages of Skulanevo, Suvi Do, Radevo, Lepine and Novo Naselje have been reconnected to the power grid. The Serb representative in talks with Lipljan municipality president Dzevat Oluri, Slavko Janicijevic, told the Beta agency that two thirds of citizens' power bills had been paid, adding that it had been agreed that every household should pay a flat rate of 26.5 euros for electricity spent last month.
The Serb part of Lipljan and five nearby villages had been without electricity since 20 December last year [2004], when a breakdown occurred, after which the Kosovo Energy Corporation [KEK] said that it could not repair it for lack of funds.
Source: Radio B92 text web site, Belgrade, in Serbian 1057 gmt 30 Apr 05
SRSG in KTV: Political will of Kosovo people to determine status talks
Koha Ditore prints an interview UNMIK chief Søren Jessen-Petersen gave to a Prishtina TV Kohavision where he said that the closer talks on Kosovo status get, the more there is an increase of ambitions but ‘great ambitions can also be great dangers.’
‘I think it would be good if President Rugova met Tadic,’ said Jessen-Petersen in the interview but said it is not fair to say EU is insisting on the meeting between two officials. ‘Dialogue is part of standards,’ added SRSG.
Asked whether he will be the last international administrator to Kosovo, Jessen-Petersen replied, ‘I sincerely believe my work and that of UNMIK should be to finish the job and this can happen only if there is a resolution to define UNMIK’s mandate.’
‘I think it would be good if President Rugova met Tadic,’ said Jessen-Petersen in the interview but said it is not fair to say EU is insisting on the meeting between two officials. ‘Dialogue is part of standards,’ added SRSG.
Asked whether he will be the last international administrator to Kosovo, Jessen-Petersen replied, ‘I sincerely believe my work and that of UNMIK should be to finish the job and this can happen only if there is a resolution to define UNMIK’s mandate.’
Toward status with a five-member forum (Dailies)
All daily papers report about the proposal of SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen for creation of an informal forum that would focus on key issues and would represent major political factors in Kosovo. Jessen-Petersen made the proposal during a joint meeting with main political leaders in Kosovo.
Koha Ditore notes that the forum will be made out of two parts, namely the political side of the forum and a part consisting of groups of experts. The proposed forum to have five members which would, according to Koha, include Rugova, Daci, Kosumi, Thaçi and Surroi.
Zëri says that the forum will discuss important issues like standards, dialogue with Belgrade, decentralisation and status talks. ‘It will not be a substitute for institutions but support to existing institutions and dialogue on key issues,’ the paper quotes Jessen-Petersen.
The paper notes that exact positions of Kosovo leaders to SRSG’s proposal will be known after they have received a written form of the initiative and that, says Zëri, will be after Monday.
Epoka e Re carries the caption Jessen-Petersen, efforts to join parties he himself strained.
Koha Ditore notes that the forum will be made out of two parts, namely the political side of the forum and a part consisting of groups of experts. The proposed forum to have five members which would, according to Koha, include Rugova, Daci, Kosumi, Thaçi and Surroi.
Zëri says that the forum will discuss important issues like standards, dialogue with Belgrade, decentralisation and status talks. ‘It will not be a substitute for institutions but support to existing institutions and dialogue on key issues,’ the paper quotes Jessen-Petersen.
The paper notes that exact positions of Kosovo leaders to SRSG’s proposal will be known after they have received a written form of the initiative and that, says Zëri, will be after Monday.
Epoka e Re carries the caption Jessen-Petersen, efforts to join parties he himself strained.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Courtside: Beqaj
By Michael Farquhar in The Hague (TU No 404, 29-Apr-05)
Prosecutors this week set out their case against a man who they say tried to get a key witness to withdraw his testimony against three former Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, members currently on trial in The Hague for war crimes.
Kosovo Albanian Beqa Beqaj is charged with contempt of the tribunal, attempted contempt of the tribunal and incitement to contempt of the tribunal.
If found guilty, he could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euro, around 129,000 US dollars.
Given a chance to address the court at the start of the case on April 25, Beqaj – a heavy-set middle-aged man, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and cardigan – continued to deny the charges.
"My imprisonment is unjust," he insisted, adding later, "I was never anyone's thug."
Prosecutors say Beqaj contacted the witness in question - known only as B-1 - on behalf of his relative Isak Musliu and another Hague indictee, Fatmir Limaj, and offered him land to pull out of the proceedings against them.
Beqaj is also alleged to have interfered with a second potential witness in the case, known by the pseudonym B-2.
“This case is primarily a case of witness interference and bribery, as opposed to threats and intimidation,” prosecutor David Akerson explained in his opening statement.
Musliu and Limaj are accused – along with a third man, Haradin Bala – of running a KLA prison camp in the village of Lapusnik in 1998 where Serbs and Albanians suspected of collaboration were beaten and murdered.
B-1, the main victim of Beqaj’s alleged interference, has already given “critical” evidence in the Lapusnik trial about the roles played by all three accused, according to Akerson.
He also told judges in that trial how he survived a massacre of a group of prisoners when the Lapusnik prison was closed down in the summer of 1998, and he identified Bala as one of those who carried out the killing.
Akerson said B-1 has been living outside Kosovo under protection since late 2003, having survived two attempts on his life and a series of threats to himself and his family.
Beqaj knew the witness, he said, having been taken in by his father when he was orphaned as a young child. As a result, Beqaj was apparently able to get in touch through a family member to pass on messages from Musliu, with whom he had spoken on the telephone from the UN detention unit in The Hague.
After Hague investigators found out about this contact, Akerson said, they recorded a telephone conversation in which Beqaj urged B-1 to return to Kosovo to discuss withdrawing his testimony.
“Come meet with Limaj’s brother and say you had nothing to do with Limaj or Musliu,” Beqaj was apparently heard saying. “...Fix something up. Give us some help.”
Akerson said clips from this phone call would be played in court, along with other recorded phone calls in which Beqaj used “coded language” to discuss witnesses. The latter clips, Akerson explained, were recorded after prosecutors obtained permission to tap Beqaj’s phone.
In one call, Beqaj apparently seemed to acknowledge that his intervention in the matter amounted to coercion, telling the witness, “We are not pressuring you as to [the third accused] Bala.”
The sound in the public gallery was switched off when these recordings were played to avoid revealing the witnesses’ identity.
The same went for most of the testimony of B-1, when he gave evidence later in the week. The portion of his testimony heard in public was mostly limited to his identification of Beqaj, and a discussion of his life as a protected witness.
“I couldn’t leave my apartment at all without informing the protection forces,” B-1 told judges. “...Just for a simple thing like having a coffee in a restaurant, I was escorted by three or four persons.”
But testimony by a second man, described as a “potential witness” in the Limaj trial, provided greater insight into the case.
The 68-year-old – referred to as B-2 – recounted an incident during which he was accosted by Beqaj’s son, Bashkim Beqaj, outside a kebab restaurant in the town of Shtime/Stimlje last summer.
Bashkim apparently threatened him, saying, “You were the one who brought my uncle [Musliu] to The Hague.” The witness reported that the young man, who seemed to want to do him harm, had to be led away from the scene.
When he later visited the accused to discuss his son’s behaviour, the witness said that Beqaj “received him really well”, served him coffee and tea and clearly “felt really bad about what had happened”.
At that meeting, Beqaj apparently explained that Musliu had called him six times from The Hague and had told him to have a word with B-2. But he was reluctant to act on the request and apparently reassured the old man, “I feel more sorry about you than for Isak. I would never give you up for Isak.”
“Beqa Beqaj is a good person... it’s hard to find someone like him,” B-2 pleaded with judges after he finished giving his testimony. “...I would really wish for him to be set free and for us to go back home together.”
Later in the week, the court heard from Hague investigator Jonathan Sutch, who interviewed Beqaj twice after the allegations of witness interference came to light.
Prosecutors say during those interviews – recordings of which were entered into evidence – Beqaj at first admitted having contact with a witness, then denied knowing B-1 or B-2 or any other witness in the Lapusnik trial, and then later admitted having spoken to B-1 and having talked with Musliu about B-1.
Sutch confirmed that Beqaj was evasive. “The more information was given, the more the accused would start to make certain admissions,” he said.
He also confirmed that Limaj and Musliu would not necessarily find it difficult to manipulate events in Kosovo, despite the fact they are locked up in The Hague.
“The influence he has in Kosovo... there is an element of reputation that comes into play,” he said of Musliu. “And by reputation, there is no reason to think that his wishes wouldn’t be carried out.”
Beqaj’s defence counsel, Tjarda Eduard van der Spoel, refrained from explicitly challenging any of the basic facts of the prosecution case in his opening statement, and declined to call any witnesses for the defence.
But he argued that to secure a conviction, prosecutors would need to show that his client was aware that the individuals in question were potential witnesses and was also aware of the tribunal’s rules regarding contempt of court if and when he broke those rules.
More proof would be needed to convict an “ignorant individual” like Beqaj, he said, in comparison with the kind of evidence necessary in contempt proceedings against those who are familiar with tribunal practice.
The trial will reconvene on May 2 for judges to hear closing statements from prosecutors and defence counsel.
Michael Farquhar is an IWPR reporter in The Hague.
Prosecutors this week set out their case against a man who they say tried to get a key witness to withdraw his testimony against three former Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, members currently on trial in The Hague for war crimes.
Kosovo Albanian Beqa Beqaj is charged with contempt of the tribunal, attempted contempt of the tribunal and incitement to contempt of the tribunal.
If found guilty, he could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euro, around 129,000 US dollars.
Given a chance to address the court at the start of the case on April 25, Beqaj – a heavy-set middle-aged man, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and cardigan – continued to deny the charges.
"My imprisonment is unjust," he insisted, adding later, "I was never anyone's thug."
Prosecutors say Beqaj contacted the witness in question - known only as B-1 - on behalf of his relative Isak Musliu and another Hague indictee, Fatmir Limaj, and offered him land to pull out of the proceedings against them.
Beqaj is also alleged to have interfered with a second potential witness in the case, known by the pseudonym B-2.
“This case is primarily a case of witness interference and bribery, as opposed to threats and intimidation,” prosecutor David Akerson explained in his opening statement.
Musliu and Limaj are accused – along with a third man, Haradin Bala – of running a KLA prison camp in the village of Lapusnik in 1998 where Serbs and Albanians suspected of collaboration were beaten and murdered.
B-1, the main victim of Beqaj’s alleged interference, has already given “critical” evidence in the Lapusnik trial about the roles played by all three accused, according to Akerson.
He also told judges in that trial how he survived a massacre of a group of prisoners when the Lapusnik prison was closed down in the summer of 1998, and he identified Bala as one of those who carried out the killing.
Akerson said B-1 has been living outside Kosovo under protection since late 2003, having survived two attempts on his life and a series of threats to himself and his family.
Beqaj knew the witness, he said, having been taken in by his father when he was orphaned as a young child. As a result, Beqaj was apparently able to get in touch through a family member to pass on messages from Musliu, with whom he had spoken on the telephone from the UN detention unit in The Hague.
After Hague investigators found out about this contact, Akerson said, they recorded a telephone conversation in which Beqaj urged B-1 to return to Kosovo to discuss withdrawing his testimony.
“Come meet with Limaj’s brother and say you had nothing to do with Limaj or Musliu,” Beqaj was apparently heard saying. “...Fix something up. Give us some help.”
Akerson said clips from this phone call would be played in court, along with other recorded phone calls in which Beqaj used “coded language” to discuss witnesses. The latter clips, Akerson explained, were recorded after prosecutors obtained permission to tap Beqaj’s phone.
In one call, Beqaj apparently seemed to acknowledge that his intervention in the matter amounted to coercion, telling the witness, “We are not pressuring you as to [the third accused] Bala.”
The sound in the public gallery was switched off when these recordings were played to avoid revealing the witnesses’ identity.
The same went for most of the testimony of B-1, when he gave evidence later in the week. The portion of his testimony heard in public was mostly limited to his identification of Beqaj, and a discussion of his life as a protected witness.
“I couldn’t leave my apartment at all without informing the protection forces,” B-1 told judges. “...Just for a simple thing like having a coffee in a restaurant, I was escorted by three or four persons.”
But testimony by a second man, described as a “potential witness” in the Limaj trial, provided greater insight into the case.
The 68-year-old – referred to as B-2 – recounted an incident during which he was accosted by Beqaj’s son, Bashkim Beqaj, outside a kebab restaurant in the town of Shtime/Stimlje last summer.
Bashkim apparently threatened him, saying, “You were the one who brought my uncle [Musliu] to The Hague.” The witness reported that the young man, who seemed to want to do him harm, had to be led away from the scene.
When he later visited the accused to discuss his son’s behaviour, the witness said that Beqaj “received him really well”, served him coffee and tea and clearly “felt really bad about what had happened”.
At that meeting, Beqaj apparently explained that Musliu had called him six times from The Hague and had told him to have a word with B-2. But he was reluctant to act on the request and apparently reassured the old man, “I feel more sorry about you than for Isak. I would never give you up for Isak.”
“Beqa Beqaj is a good person... it’s hard to find someone like him,” B-2 pleaded with judges after he finished giving his testimony. “...I would really wish for him to be set free and for us to go back home together.”
Later in the week, the court heard from Hague investigator Jonathan Sutch, who interviewed Beqaj twice after the allegations of witness interference came to light.
Prosecutors say during those interviews – recordings of which were entered into evidence – Beqaj at first admitted having contact with a witness, then denied knowing B-1 or B-2 or any other witness in the Lapusnik trial, and then later admitted having spoken to B-1 and having talked with Musliu about B-1.
Sutch confirmed that Beqaj was evasive. “The more information was given, the more the accused would start to make certain admissions,” he said.
He also confirmed that Limaj and Musliu would not necessarily find it difficult to manipulate events in Kosovo, despite the fact they are locked up in The Hague.
“The influence he has in Kosovo... there is an element of reputation that comes into play,” he said of Musliu. “And by reputation, there is no reason to think that his wishes wouldn’t be carried out.”
Beqaj’s defence counsel, Tjarda Eduard van der Spoel, refrained from explicitly challenging any of the basic facts of the prosecution case in his opening statement, and declined to call any witnesses for the defence.
But he argued that to secure a conviction, prosecutors would need to show that his client was aware that the individuals in question were potential witnesses and was also aware of the tribunal’s rules regarding contempt of court if and when he broke those rules.
More proof would be needed to convict an “ignorant individual” like Beqaj, he said, in comparison with the kind of evidence necessary in contempt proceedings against those who are familiar with tribunal practice.
The trial will reconvene on May 2 for judges to hear closing statements from prosecutors and defence counsel.
Michael Farquhar is an IWPR reporter in The Hague.
Rise and Fall of Nebojsa Pavkovic - IWPR
After surviving years of tumultuous Belgrade politics, the Serbian general has ended up in a Hague cell.
By Daniel Sunter in Belgrade (TU No 404, 29-Apr-05)
Serbian general Nebojsa Pavkovic’s first appearance this week before the Hague tribunal closes another chapter in the life of a man who has for years ridden the storm of Belgrade politics relatively unscathed.
As he stood before the court on April 28 to enter a not guilty plea, both the government and Pavkovic tried to paint his decision to surrender as the latest noble gesture in a long career that has seen him transformed from a loyal henchman of Slobodan Milosevic into an advocate of democratic reform and rapprochement with NATO.
Pavkovic is charged along with three other top Serbian army and police generals with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violating the laws and customs of war during the 1999 campaign to drive thousands of Kosovo Albanians from their homes following the start of NATO airstrikes. (Lazarevic Faces “Gruesome” Indictment (TU No 392, 04-Feb-05) http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/tri/tri_392_2_eng.txt)
Vladimir Lazarevic and Sreten Lukic have already given themselves up, while Vlastimir Djordjevic is thought to be hiding in Russia. Following his indictment in October 2003, Pavkovic repeatedly announced that he would never surrender to the UN court.
The general’s change of heart came only after a warrant was issued for his arrest on separate charges in Serbia and as Belgrade faced mounting international pressure to secure his extradition.
His arrival in The Hague on April 25 coincided exactly with a deadline laid down by the European Union for the Serbian government to hand him over or give up on talks that could mark the country’s first step towards EU membership.
With characteristic bombast, however, Pavkovic described the decision to surrender as his “last sacrifice for his country”.
Pavkovic first came to prominence on January 9, 1998 when he took command of the Yugoslav army’s Pristina corps amid the first major armed clashes between Serbian security forces and Albanian rebels in Kosovo. On December 25 that year, he became commander of the Third Army, responsible for Kosovo and all of southern Serbia.
As fighting in Kosovo escalated, Pavkovic’s good looks and grandstanding ensured that his media profile followed the same trajectory, and he soon became the most famous general in Serbia.
His regular public appearances typically consisted of a mixture of up-to-date assessments of the security situation in Kosovo and pro-Milosevic propaganda, rounded off with a few emotive references to Kosovo’s status as a central component of Serb national identity.
“Albanian separatists have attacked our honour and our lives and existence in Kosovo, which has always been ours,” he said in a message to the Pristina corps in February 1999.
During the conflict in Kosovo, Pavkovic and his closest associate Lazarevic – who took the post of Pristina corps commander after Pavkovic was promoted – enjoyed great popularity within the ranks as a result of their regular trips to the front lines.
When NATO launched air strikes in March 1999 in an effort to bring an end to the brutal tactics employed by Serb forces against the Albanian population, Pavkovic was defiant. He told coalition chiefs that their troops should expect hell in Kosovo and that Belgrade would never surrender the “sacred territory”.
Like other regime officials at the time, Pavkovic claimed the outcome of the bombing – which saw the hurried withdrawal of Serbian forces and the deployment of NATO troops and UN administrators in Kosovo – as a victory.
“The United Nations ... are a guarantee of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country,” he told Serbian state television in June 1999.
At the end of the war, he was decorated by Milosevic and, in February 2000, Pavkovic’s close ties with the president earned him the top military post of chief of general staff.
Later that year, Pavkovic returned the favour and, in what was widely viewed as one of the top bootlicking gestures in modern Serbian history, on June 6, 2000 Milosevic was nominated by the army for the Order of National Hero award.
The military’s proposal read like a communist era tract. “His wisdom as a statesman and personal courage in conditions which seemed insurmountable…put him among the [kind of] statesmen and military leaders who are hard to find in recent world history,” it said.
During this period, Pavkovic continued to nurture his public image.
The personality cult that surrounded him peaked with the publication of “On the Media Front”, a compilation of interviews with the general interspersed with portraits – from Pavkovic at war, to Pavkovic enjoying fishing, painting and throwing knives.
During the presidential elections of 2000, he at first sided with Milosevic, but quickly changed his mind when the president was voted out and his regime toppled by civil protests after more than a decade of virtually unchecked power.
On the eve of the regime’s collapse, Pavkovic met with the winner of the election - Democratic Opposition of Serbia, DOS, candidate Vojislav Kostunica - to offer his complete support.
Having been granted a second chance on the condition of loyalty to the new president, Pavkovic kept his post and later returned the favour by openly siding with Kostunica during conflicts with his main rival, Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
Despite repeated demands from the international community and the Serbian public, Kostunica continued to oppose changes in the army hierarchy, claiming that dismissals would destabilise the military and the state.
In the post-Milosevic era, Pavkovic underwent a complete makeover, and Milosevic and the war in Kosovo disappeared from his public statements. Instead, he stressed his dedication to the democratic process and the importance of integrating Belgrade into the international community.
But his gradual decline began when the Serbian media discovered that during the Milosevic era generals had secured prime real estate for themselves, and that a luxury villa was being built for Pavkovic in the elite residential suburb of Dedinje.
Also facing rumours that he could be indicted by the Hague tribunal, Pavkovic published another book – this time a compilation of military documents from the war in Kosovo apparently intended to show that the army and he himself had respected international conventions throughout.
According to a source in the Serbian authorities, it was fear of the indictment that then led Pavkovic to offer his support to Kostunica’s rival Djindjic, hoping the prime minister’s influence in Brussels and Washington might help his cause.
But the move proved misjudged and in June 2002, realising he had lost control of his favourite general, Kostunica sacked him. No one was irreplaceable, he said.
An attempt by Pavkovic to return to the political arena, by running as an independent candidate in presidential elections in late 2002, failed.
During the state of emergency imposed in Serbia following the assassination of Djindjic in March 2003, Pavkovic was arrested along with thousands of others as part of a crackdown on organised crime known as “Operation Sabre”. He was held in custody for almost three months before being released.
Later, following his indictment by the Hague tribunal, Pavkovic apparently felt sidelined by the establishment, telling the BETA news agency that he felt “lonely in [his] attempt to defend [Serbia] from accusations of war crimes in Kosovo”.
There then followed a game of cat-and-mouse with the Belgrade authorities, as the indicted Pavkovic continued to make appearances in public and even as a guest on television shows.
The general has often cited the fact that he suffers from an undisclosed serious illness as his reason for not wanting to go to The Hague. When police started looking for him – in the run-up to the date set by the EU for a feasibility study that would decide whether Serbia was in a position to begin talks on membership – he went underground.
A Serbian government source told IWPR that far from being a patriotic “sacrifice”, the deciding factor in Pavkovic’s eventual surrender was probably the news that a warrant had been issued for his arrest after he failed to turn up for routine questioning in connection with the attempted murder of Serbian Renewal Movement, SPO, leader Vuk Draskovic.
“Since the Hague tribunal takes precedence over local courts, immediately after his arrest [on these charges] he would have gone to The Hague,” the source told IWPR.
“When police officers began questioning his friends and searching their houses, this helped him realise this was not a joke, and that he should take advantage of the opportunity and ‘surrender voluntarily’.”
Twelve indictees have arrived at The Hague from Belgrade in the last four months. Ten remain at large with eight assumed to be living on territories under Belgrade’s control.
Daniel Sunter is an IWPR contributor in Belgrade.
By Daniel Sunter in Belgrade (TU No 404, 29-Apr-05)
Serbian general Nebojsa Pavkovic’s first appearance this week before the Hague tribunal closes another chapter in the life of a man who has for years ridden the storm of Belgrade politics relatively unscathed.
As he stood before the court on April 28 to enter a not guilty plea, both the government and Pavkovic tried to paint his decision to surrender as the latest noble gesture in a long career that has seen him transformed from a loyal henchman of Slobodan Milosevic into an advocate of democratic reform and rapprochement with NATO.
Pavkovic is charged along with three other top Serbian army and police generals with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violating the laws and customs of war during the 1999 campaign to drive thousands of Kosovo Albanians from their homes following the start of NATO airstrikes. (Lazarevic Faces “Gruesome” Indictment (TU No 392, 04-Feb-05) http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/tri/tri_392_2_eng.txt)
Vladimir Lazarevic and Sreten Lukic have already given themselves up, while Vlastimir Djordjevic is thought to be hiding in Russia. Following his indictment in October 2003, Pavkovic repeatedly announced that he would never surrender to the UN court.
The general’s change of heart came only after a warrant was issued for his arrest on separate charges in Serbia and as Belgrade faced mounting international pressure to secure his extradition.
His arrival in The Hague on April 25 coincided exactly with a deadline laid down by the European Union for the Serbian government to hand him over or give up on talks that could mark the country’s first step towards EU membership.
With characteristic bombast, however, Pavkovic described the decision to surrender as his “last sacrifice for his country”.
Pavkovic first came to prominence on January 9, 1998 when he took command of the Yugoslav army’s Pristina corps amid the first major armed clashes between Serbian security forces and Albanian rebels in Kosovo. On December 25 that year, he became commander of the Third Army, responsible for Kosovo and all of southern Serbia.
As fighting in Kosovo escalated, Pavkovic’s good looks and grandstanding ensured that his media profile followed the same trajectory, and he soon became the most famous general in Serbia.
His regular public appearances typically consisted of a mixture of up-to-date assessments of the security situation in Kosovo and pro-Milosevic propaganda, rounded off with a few emotive references to Kosovo’s status as a central component of Serb national identity.
“Albanian separatists have attacked our honour and our lives and existence in Kosovo, which has always been ours,” he said in a message to the Pristina corps in February 1999.
During the conflict in Kosovo, Pavkovic and his closest associate Lazarevic – who took the post of Pristina corps commander after Pavkovic was promoted – enjoyed great popularity within the ranks as a result of their regular trips to the front lines.
When NATO launched air strikes in March 1999 in an effort to bring an end to the brutal tactics employed by Serb forces against the Albanian population, Pavkovic was defiant. He told coalition chiefs that their troops should expect hell in Kosovo and that Belgrade would never surrender the “sacred territory”.
Like other regime officials at the time, Pavkovic claimed the outcome of the bombing – which saw the hurried withdrawal of Serbian forces and the deployment of NATO troops and UN administrators in Kosovo – as a victory.
“The United Nations ... are a guarantee of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country,” he told Serbian state television in June 1999.
At the end of the war, he was decorated by Milosevic and, in February 2000, Pavkovic’s close ties with the president earned him the top military post of chief of general staff.
Later that year, Pavkovic returned the favour and, in what was widely viewed as one of the top bootlicking gestures in modern Serbian history, on June 6, 2000 Milosevic was nominated by the army for the Order of National Hero award.
The military’s proposal read like a communist era tract. “His wisdom as a statesman and personal courage in conditions which seemed insurmountable…put him among the [kind of] statesmen and military leaders who are hard to find in recent world history,” it said.
During this period, Pavkovic continued to nurture his public image.
The personality cult that surrounded him peaked with the publication of “On the Media Front”, a compilation of interviews with the general interspersed with portraits – from Pavkovic at war, to Pavkovic enjoying fishing, painting and throwing knives.
During the presidential elections of 2000, he at first sided with Milosevic, but quickly changed his mind when the president was voted out and his regime toppled by civil protests after more than a decade of virtually unchecked power.
On the eve of the regime’s collapse, Pavkovic met with the winner of the election - Democratic Opposition of Serbia, DOS, candidate Vojislav Kostunica - to offer his complete support.
Having been granted a second chance on the condition of loyalty to the new president, Pavkovic kept his post and later returned the favour by openly siding with Kostunica during conflicts with his main rival, Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
Despite repeated demands from the international community and the Serbian public, Kostunica continued to oppose changes in the army hierarchy, claiming that dismissals would destabilise the military and the state.
In the post-Milosevic era, Pavkovic underwent a complete makeover, and Milosevic and the war in Kosovo disappeared from his public statements. Instead, he stressed his dedication to the democratic process and the importance of integrating Belgrade into the international community.
But his gradual decline began when the Serbian media discovered that during the Milosevic era generals had secured prime real estate for themselves, and that a luxury villa was being built for Pavkovic in the elite residential suburb of Dedinje.
Also facing rumours that he could be indicted by the Hague tribunal, Pavkovic published another book – this time a compilation of military documents from the war in Kosovo apparently intended to show that the army and he himself had respected international conventions throughout.
According to a source in the Serbian authorities, it was fear of the indictment that then led Pavkovic to offer his support to Kostunica’s rival Djindjic, hoping the prime minister’s influence in Brussels and Washington might help his cause.
But the move proved misjudged and in June 2002, realising he had lost control of his favourite general, Kostunica sacked him. No one was irreplaceable, he said.
An attempt by Pavkovic to return to the political arena, by running as an independent candidate in presidential elections in late 2002, failed.
During the state of emergency imposed in Serbia following the assassination of Djindjic in March 2003, Pavkovic was arrested along with thousands of others as part of a crackdown on organised crime known as “Operation Sabre”. He was held in custody for almost three months before being released.
Later, following his indictment by the Hague tribunal, Pavkovic apparently felt sidelined by the establishment, telling the BETA news agency that he felt “lonely in [his] attempt to defend [Serbia] from accusations of war crimes in Kosovo”.
There then followed a game of cat-and-mouse with the Belgrade authorities, as the indicted Pavkovic continued to make appearances in public and even as a guest on television shows.
The general has often cited the fact that he suffers from an undisclosed serious illness as his reason for not wanting to go to The Hague. When police started looking for him – in the run-up to the date set by the EU for a feasibility study that would decide whether Serbia was in a position to begin talks on membership – he went underground.
A Serbian government source told IWPR that far from being a patriotic “sacrifice”, the deciding factor in Pavkovic’s eventual surrender was probably the news that a warrant had been issued for his arrest after he failed to turn up for routine questioning in connection with the attempted murder of Serbian Renewal Movement, SPO, leader Vuk Draskovic.
“Since the Hague tribunal takes precedence over local courts, immediately after his arrest [on these charges] he would have gone to The Hague,” the source told IWPR.
“When police officers began questioning his friends and searching their houses, this helped him realise this was not a joke, and that he should take advantage of the opportunity and ‘surrender voluntarily’.”
Twelve indictees have arrived at The Hague from Belgrade in the last four months. Ten remain at large with eight assumed to be living on territories under Belgrade’s control.
Daniel Sunter is an IWPR contributor in Belgrade.
Kosovo Mar CPI Up 1.5% M/M - Table
The March consumer price index (CPI) of the U.N.-run Kosovo grew 1.5% on the month, after it was unchanged in February, statistics showed on Thursday.
Consumer prices were down 2.0% on the year in March, after falling 3.0% the previous month, the Kosovo Statistics Office said.
Kosovo Consumer Prices Index (pct change):
...........Mar.....Feb......Jan
m/m.......+1.5.....0.0.....-0.3
y/y.......-2.0......-3.0...+2.6
NOTE: Kosovo, a province of two million people, is legally part of the loose union of Serbia and Montenegro, which succeeded rump Yugoslavia in 2003. The province was put under United Nations administration after NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 to halt the Serb repression of the ethnic Albanian majority in Kosovo.
Consumer prices were down 2.0% on the year in March, after falling 3.0% the previous month, the Kosovo Statistics Office said.
Kosovo Consumer Prices Index (pct change):
...........Mar.....Feb......Jan
m/m.......+1.5.....0.0.....-0.3
y/y.......-2.0......-3.0...+2.6
NOTE: Kosovo, a province of two million people, is legally part of the loose union of Serbia and Montenegro, which succeeded rump Yugoslavia in 2003. The province was put under United Nations administration after NATO bombed Serbia in 1999 to halt the Serb repression of the ethnic Albanian majority in Kosovo.
Kosovars Expect Progress on Missing Persons- IWPR
Discovery of bodies of Serbs killed in Kosovo war may, paradoxically, ease talks on missing persons between Belgrade and Pristina.
By Muhamet Hajrullahu in Klina (BCR No 554, 29-Apr-05)
Serbian families laid wreaths and lit candles on April 23 in front of a cave in the Klina region of western Kosovo, where the remains of 22 people were found.
DNA testing has identified seven of the victims, discovered on April 19, as Serbs who went missing in 1998 in Rahovec/Orahovac, 50 kilometres west of the capital, Pristina.
The discovery, near the village of Volljakë (in Serbian, Volujak), marks the first time a mass grave containing Serbs has been found in Kosovo, and both the authorities here and local human rights activists believe it will aid talks between Belgrade and Pristina on missing persons.
Two of the bodies found in the cave were of Olgica Bozanic's brothers, from the village of Opterusa in Orahovac/Rahovec, who until now were considered missing.
She said that until now the family had hoped its missing relatives might still be alive.
"Since their disappearance, we received various information that they were alive and being forced to work in labour camps," said Bozanic.
Seeing the bodies in the cave had been painful, she added, "but finally we know the truth and no one can fool us any longer with stories that our missing people are alive".
The Office of Missing Persons and Forensics, from the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, estimates that just under 3,000 people are still counted as missing in Kosovo. The great majority – around 2,400 - are ethnic Albanians while the rest are Serbs, Roma and others.
Daut Dauti, spokesperson for the Kosovo government, told IWPR on April 26 that the Volljakë/Volujak mass grave discovery shows that Albanians are willing to return the bodies of missing Serbs and were serious partners in negotiations on missing persons in general.
"Negotiations with Serbs on missing persons issues have often been difficult because Albanians have been accused of not revealing and returning the bodies of missing Serbs," explained Dauti.
After a year of stalemate, when almost no progress was made, the working group on missing persons, chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, met in Belgrade on March 16.
The two sides signed a framework document and accepted ICRC's list of 2,960 still missing as the agreed reference figure. The officials also agreed to meet again on June 9 in Pristina.
According to Dauti, the discovery of the mass grave will strengthen Kosovar attempts to get the Serbian authorities to make more efforts to locate missing Albanians.
"The government supports the initiative to investigate and discover mass graves such as this one," said Dauti, adding that "this discovery will clearly help the Kosovar delegation in talks on missing persons with officials from Belgrade".
However, representatives of human rights groups, such as Jeta Bejtullahu, of the Humanitarian Law Centre, HLC, in Pristina say the grave's discovery will do more than expedite the activities of working groups on the missing.
The generally accurate and unbiased reporting of the event in the Kosovo media, she said, "shows Kosovo Albanian society is ready to accept that Serbs, although on a much smaller scale, were also victims in the Kosovo war".
She added, "This is a step forward from the complete denial that existed in the [immediate] post-war years."
Bejtullahu stressed that much work remained to be done on the issue from the point of view of human rights activists.
"There are still reservations [among Albanians] in accepting that the responsibility for crimes against minorities falls on the shoulders of the majority in Kosovo," she concluded.
Olgica Bozanic, who is now a refugee in Belgrade, told IWPR that she last saw her brothers on July 18 1998, when a battle took place between Serbian forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, for control of the Orhavac/Rahovec area.
"During the night between 17 and 18 July 1998, the Albanians attacked the Serbs living in Opterusa, which was mostly Albanian," she said.
The local Serb men had "defended themselves until the morning but then they surrendered to local Albanians and to people ... in black uniforms". She never saw her brothers again.
Dauti is convinced the Kosovo public is becoming more aware that crimes were committed against Serbs in the war.
"Albanian society and institutions have to accept that the Serbs of Kosovo were also victims in the war and the mass grave in Klina proves it," he said.
Bejtullahu says it is time now for Belgrade and Pristina to de-politicise the issue of missing persons.
The entire business should be transformed "from a political perspective to a humanitarian one", she said, as this would "help shed light on what happened to the rest of the missing persons - an issue that so far has been held hostage to political calculations".
Muhamet Hajrullahu is a regular IWPR contributor. Tanja Matic also contributed to this report.
By Muhamet Hajrullahu in Klina (BCR No 554, 29-Apr-05)
Serbian families laid wreaths and lit candles on April 23 in front of a cave in the Klina region of western Kosovo, where the remains of 22 people were found.
DNA testing has identified seven of the victims, discovered on April 19, as Serbs who went missing in 1998 in Rahovec/Orahovac, 50 kilometres west of the capital, Pristina.
The discovery, near the village of Volljakë (in Serbian, Volujak), marks the first time a mass grave containing Serbs has been found in Kosovo, and both the authorities here and local human rights activists believe it will aid talks between Belgrade and Pristina on missing persons.
Two of the bodies found in the cave were of Olgica Bozanic's brothers, from the village of Opterusa in Orahovac/Rahovec, who until now were considered missing.
She said that until now the family had hoped its missing relatives might still be alive.
"Since their disappearance, we received various information that they were alive and being forced to work in labour camps," said Bozanic.
Seeing the bodies in the cave had been painful, she added, "but finally we know the truth and no one can fool us any longer with stories that our missing people are alive".
The Office of Missing Persons and Forensics, from the UN mission in Kosovo, UNMIK, estimates that just under 3,000 people are still counted as missing in Kosovo. The great majority – around 2,400 - are ethnic Albanians while the rest are Serbs, Roma and others.
Daut Dauti, spokesperson for the Kosovo government, told IWPR on April 26 that the Volljakë/Volujak mass grave discovery shows that Albanians are willing to return the bodies of missing Serbs and were serious partners in negotiations on missing persons in general.
"Negotiations with Serbs on missing persons issues have often been difficult because Albanians have been accused of not revealing and returning the bodies of missing Serbs," explained Dauti.
After a year of stalemate, when almost no progress was made, the working group on missing persons, chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, met in Belgrade on March 16.
The two sides signed a framework document and accepted ICRC's list of 2,960 still missing as the agreed reference figure. The officials also agreed to meet again on June 9 in Pristina.
According to Dauti, the discovery of the mass grave will strengthen Kosovar attempts to get the Serbian authorities to make more efforts to locate missing Albanians.
"The government supports the initiative to investigate and discover mass graves such as this one," said Dauti, adding that "this discovery will clearly help the Kosovar delegation in talks on missing persons with officials from Belgrade".
However, representatives of human rights groups, such as Jeta Bejtullahu, of the Humanitarian Law Centre, HLC, in Pristina say the grave's discovery will do more than expedite the activities of working groups on the missing.
The generally accurate and unbiased reporting of the event in the Kosovo media, she said, "shows Kosovo Albanian society is ready to accept that Serbs, although on a much smaller scale, were also victims in the Kosovo war".
She added, "This is a step forward from the complete denial that existed in the [immediate] post-war years."
Bejtullahu stressed that much work remained to be done on the issue from the point of view of human rights activists.
"There are still reservations [among Albanians] in accepting that the responsibility for crimes against minorities falls on the shoulders of the majority in Kosovo," she concluded.
Olgica Bozanic, who is now a refugee in Belgrade, told IWPR that she last saw her brothers on July 18 1998, when a battle took place between Serbian forces and the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, for control of the Orhavac/Rahovec area.
"During the night between 17 and 18 July 1998, the Albanians attacked the Serbs living in Opterusa, which was mostly Albanian," she said.
The local Serb men had "defended themselves until the morning but then they surrendered to local Albanians and to people ... in black uniforms". She never saw her brothers again.
Dauti is convinced the Kosovo public is becoming more aware that crimes were committed against Serbs in the war.
"Albanian society and institutions have to accept that the Serbs of Kosovo were also victims in the war and the mass grave in Klina proves it," he said.
Bejtullahu says it is time now for Belgrade and Pristina to de-politicise the issue of missing persons.
The entire business should be transformed "from a political perspective to a humanitarian one", she said, as this would "help shed light on what happened to the rest of the missing persons - an issue that so far has been held hostage to political calculations".
Muhamet Hajrullahu is a regular IWPR contributor. Tanja Matic also contributed to this report.
SRSG proposes Forum for consultations between main political parties
PRISTINA – SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen today proposed an informal Forum for consultation between main political leaders on key issues facing Kosovo.
“Kosovo should benefit from an enhanced dialogue between political leaders on issues of vital importance, such as standards implementation, decentralisation, and status preparations. An informal Forum could be the best place to do so – but it would support existing democratic institutions, and not substitute them,” he said.
The SRSG shared his proposal with President Rugova, 1st Deputy President of AAK and Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, Vice President of LDK Kole Berisha, PDK leader Hashim Thaci, and ORA representative Ylber Hysa, over a working lunch.
“A lot of hard work needs to be done – and needs to be done quickly. The coalition and opposition have their roles to play, and that will not change, but on key issues of Kosovo’s larger interest, a strong dialogue between parties is essential to move Kosovo forward,” said the SRSG.
The SRSG pointed out that the Assembly remained the principal organ for debate between political parties, appealing to all leaders to ensure its improved democratic functioning. However, the informal Forum could contribute to greater dialogue between parties as Kosovo faced many challenges.
The SRSG’s proposal would bring together the President of Kosovo and the leaders of the four main parties in the Assembly on a regular basis for informal discussions. The President and party leaders welcomed the SRSG’s proposal, and agreed to provide their comments and support to the initiative.
“Kosovo should benefit from an enhanced dialogue between political leaders on issues of vital importance, such as standards implementation, decentralisation, and status preparations. An informal Forum could be the best place to do so – but it would support existing democratic institutions, and not substitute them,” he said.
The SRSG shared his proposal with President Rugova, 1st Deputy President of AAK and Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi, Vice President of LDK Kole Berisha, PDK leader Hashim Thaci, and ORA representative Ylber Hysa, over a working lunch.
“A lot of hard work needs to be done – and needs to be done quickly. The coalition and opposition have their roles to play, and that will not change, but on key issues of Kosovo’s larger interest, a strong dialogue between parties is essential to move Kosovo forward,” said the SRSG.
The SRSG pointed out that the Assembly remained the principal organ for debate between political parties, appealing to all leaders to ensure its improved democratic functioning. However, the informal Forum could contribute to greater dialogue between parties as Kosovo faced many challenges.
The SRSG’s proposal would bring together the President of Kosovo and the leaders of the four main parties in the Assembly on a regular basis for informal discussions. The President and party leaders welcomed the SRSG’s proposal, and agreed to provide their comments and support to the initiative.
Office for returns asks for an end to battle with numbers of IDPs and returnees (Koha)
UNMIK Office for Returns has still no precise information on the numbers of displaced persons after the war in Kosovo, said UNMIK official Kilian Kleinschmidt in a press conference.
‘I cannot give exact numbers because the data have so much been influenced by various propaganda and parties that I don’t know what to believe, but the truth may rest somewhere in between’, said Kleinschmidt and urged all parties to end the game with numbers.
The best way to shed light to the actual number of IDPs is through the population census expected to start next year, added UNMIK official for returns and communities.
Kleinschmidt also spoke about the upcoming meeting between Kosovo and Serbian officials on the issue of returns and said that this will be a ‘complicated’ process.
He said that everybody should understand that the return process should not be time-restricted. ‘Return should be free so that people can return to their property whenever they want. If displaced people want to return in 10 years, that is their right’, stressed Kleinschmidt.
‘I cannot give exact numbers because the data have so much been influenced by various propaganda and parties that I don’t know what to believe, but the truth may rest somewhere in between’, said Kleinschmidt and urged all parties to end the game with numbers.
The best way to shed light to the actual number of IDPs is through the population census expected to start next year, added UNMIK official for returns and communities.
Kleinschmidt also spoke about the upcoming meeting between Kosovo and Serbian officials on the issue of returns and said that this will be a ‘complicated’ process.
He said that everybody should understand that the return process should not be time-restricted. ‘Return should be free so that people can return to their property whenever they want. If displaced people want to return in 10 years, that is their right’, stressed Kleinschmidt.
PDK announces shadow government, LDK does not replace Rugova, neither does AAK replace Haradinaj (Zëri)
Zëri reports that the main political parties in Kosovo have announced novelties and party elections.
Although two months have passed since the resignation of Ibrahim Rugova from the post of LDK chief, according the party’s spokesperson, Lulzim Zeneli, the party presidency is dealing with duties and obligations and it will fill the gap the resignation of the president has created.
PDK has announced that there will be plenty of activities over the two months to come, it will elect new party bodies and it will initially create the shadow government.
AAK officials, according to spokesperson Ernest Luma, have a unanimous stance that Ramush Haradinaj remains president, while during his absence, party’s first deputy chief, Bajram Kosumi, will carry out the tasks of the party chief.
Although two months have passed since the resignation of Ibrahim Rugova from the post of LDK chief, according the party’s spokesperson, Lulzim Zeneli, the party presidency is dealing with duties and obligations and it will fill the gap the resignation of the president has created.
PDK has announced that there will be plenty of activities over the two months to come, it will elect new party bodies and it will initially create the shadow government.
AAK officials, according to spokesperson Ernest Luma, have a unanimous stance that Ramush Haradinaj remains president, while during his absence, party’s first deputy chief, Bajram Kosumi, will carry out the tasks of the party chief.
Plasnik: Kosovo in EU in ten years (Koha Ditore)
‘Austria has taken the role to offer unreserved assistance to countries of Western Balkans for faster integration into EU, but the accession of Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro can only happen after ten years’, said Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik.
A bag full of remarks (Express)
Express reports that SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen has harshly criticized Assembly Speaker Nexhat Daci for his behaviour in the assembly sessions on 21 and 22 April. The SRSG reportedly wrote a letter to Daci and other members of the assembly presidency over the latest assembly session.
Jessen-Petersen called on Daci to respect the rules of procedures and added that the threat to remove assembly members from sessions endangers the assembly’s credibility. He also called on Daci to respect problems raised by the opposition.
Jessen-Petersen called on Daci to respect the rules of procedures and added that the threat to remove assembly members from sessions endangers the assembly’s credibility. He also called on Daci to respect problems raised by the opposition.
UN Strengthens Kosovo Border Controls
The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has announced new regulations for border crossings into the province with effect from 1 July. All foreigners entering Kosovo will be required to obtain authorisation to enter and stay. Citizens of Serbia and Montenegro, of which Kosovo is formally a part, will not be affected, however, and neither will UN, NATO and other international officials. Authorisation will be valid for 90 days and can then be renewed. Authorisation will be denied to anyone who 'undermines the purpose and principles' of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which ended the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the person has engaged or will engage in terrorist acts or acts of violence.
Significance: This is the first time that such authorisation requirements to enter Kosovo have been introduced, and they appear to be aimed at preventing Albanian terrorists - or, indeed, any others - from entering as Kosovo enters a particularly sensitive period. UNMIK has blacklisted a shadow Albanian group called the Albanian National Army, which has in the past claimed responsibility for some attacks. Recently there have also been further attacks, including a bomb outside the house of Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova. There are also persistent rumours that Kosovo hosts Islamist militants from further afield. These are often dismissed as Serb propaganda, but UNMIK is taking no chances.
Significance: This is the first time that such authorisation requirements to enter Kosovo have been introduced, and they appear to be aimed at preventing Albanian terrorists - or, indeed, any others - from entering as Kosovo enters a particularly sensitive period. UNMIK has blacklisted a shadow Albanian group called the Albanian National Army, which has in the past claimed responsibility for some attacks. Recently there have also been further attacks, including a bomb outside the house of Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova. There are also persistent rumours that Kosovo hosts Islamist militants from further afield. These are often dismissed as Serb propaganda, but UNMIK is taking no chances.
EU envoy urges Kosovo leaders to accept Serbian offer of dialogue
Prishtina [Pristina], 28 April: Stefan Lehne, special envoy of [EU common and foreign security policy high representative] Javier Solana, called today in Prishtina upon Kosova's [Kosovo] political leadership to accept the offer of Serbian President Boris Tadic for political dialogue.
Lehne called upon the government and the opposition to have a united stance on major issues.
"Kosovo cannot afford a division situation at this critical moment, as it is moving towards a very decisive period. There should be a climate of unification on major issues," he said following a meeting with Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi.
Lehne joined today the international pressure on Kosova authorities for creation of a comprehensive process to discuss the major issues for Kosova in the coming months.
Lehne told KosovaLive that he conveyed the message to the Kosova Assembly speaker, Nexhat Daci, Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and to the head of the PDK [Democratic Party of Kosovo], Hashim Thaci, for the need of the beginning of political talks between Prishtina and Belgrade.
"I made it clear that we feel that the dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade should not be held only on technical level, but it is also important the dialogue on political level. There is a strong need for a political dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade," he said.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 28 Apr 05
Lehne called upon the government and the opposition to have a united stance on major issues.
"Kosovo cannot afford a division situation at this critical moment, as it is moving towards a very decisive period. There should be a climate of unification on major issues," he said following a meeting with Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi.
Lehne joined today the international pressure on Kosova authorities for creation of a comprehensive process to discuss the major issues for Kosova in the coming months.
Lehne told KosovaLive that he conveyed the message to the Kosova Assembly speaker, Nexhat Daci, Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi and to the head of the PDK [Democratic Party of Kosovo], Hashim Thaci, for the need of the beginning of political talks between Prishtina and Belgrade.
"I made it clear that we feel that the dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade should not be held only on technical level, but it is also important the dialogue on political level. There is a strong need for a political dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade," he said.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 28 Apr 05
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Picture of the Day
Former Yugoslav army chief-of-staff Pavkovic enters the court room for his initial appearance at the Yugoslav War Crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Former Yugoslav army chief-of-staff Nebojsa Pavkovic (L) enters the court room for his initial appearance at the Yugoslav War Crimes tribunal in The Hague April 28, 2005. Pavkovic pleaded not guilty on Thursday at the tribunal to charges of planning and ordering the killing and expulsion of thousands of Kosovo Albanian civilians in 1999. Pavkovic is charged with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war, including deportation, murder and persecution. REUTERS
Former Yugoslav army chief-of-staff Nebojsa Pavkovic (L) enters the court room for his initial appearance at the Yugoslav War Crimes tribunal in The Hague April 28, 2005. Pavkovic pleaded not guilty on Thursday at the tribunal to charges of planning and ordering the killing and expulsion of thousands of Kosovo Albanian civilians in 1999. Pavkovic is charged with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war, including deportation, murder and persecution. REUTERS
Kosovo PM Kosumi: Let us look ahead!
Dailies carry an address of the Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi to the people of Kosovo calling on them to be devoted to the road ahead.
‘We are approaching the final Kosovo status phase. The closer we get to our aim, the more, those who do not wish to see progress in creation of Kosovo state, will try to impede the process’, writes Kosumi.
He says that the murder of Enver Haradinaj and the attack against ORA offices were in fact attacks against the process of Kosovo’s independence but he adds that the people of Kosovo understand the fragility of the whole process and the care that should be exercised to preserve it.
‘I call on citizens of Kosovo to have faith that justice will triumph and that all perpetrators, ill doers and law violators will face it, sooner or later. I call on citizens of Kosovo to restrain their just anger and not to stop on the road to creation of the state and democracy’, reads on the letter.
‘Kosovo can be a genuine democratic state, an economically developed state and a factor of stability in the region’, Prime Minister Kosumi says.
Kosumi also calls on all political parties, media and people of good will to refrain from using hate speech. ‘The language used in the recent months during many political discussions and in the press, impairs the good image of Kosovo and creates confusion with the citizens. It should never be forgotten that in a place with a fragile democracy like ours, the hate speech of a politician or a media may incite negative actions with a not well-informed citizen’, goes on the letter.
‘A year from now, when Kosovo will be completely different from what it is today, we will all see how important our commitment to build the future was’, concludes Bajram Kosumi his letter addressed to the people of Kosovo.
‘We are approaching the final Kosovo status phase. The closer we get to our aim, the more, those who do not wish to see progress in creation of Kosovo state, will try to impede the process’, writes Kosumi.
He says that the murder of Enver Haradinaj and the attack against ORA offices were in fact attacks against the process of Kosovo’s independence but he adds that the people of Kosovo understand the fragility of the whole process and the care that should be exercised to preserve it.
‘I call on citizens of Kosovo to have faith that justice will triumph and that all perpetrators, ill doers and law violators will face it, sooner or later. I call on citizens of Kosovo to restrain their just anger and not to stop on the road to creation of the state and democracy’, reads on the letter.
‘Kosovo can be a genuine democratic state, an economically developed state and a factor of stability in the region’, Prime Minister Kosumi says.
Kosumi also calls on all political parties, media and people of good will to refrain from using hate speech. ‘The language used in the recent months during many political discussions and in the press, impairs the good image of Kosovo and creates confusion with the citizens. It should never be forgotten that in a place with a fragile democracy like ours, the hate speech of a politician or a media may incite negative actions with a not well-informed citizen’, goes on the letter.
‘A year from now, when Kosovo will be completely different from what it is today, we will all see how important our commitment to build the future was’, concludes Bajram Kosumi his letter addressed to the people of Kosovo.
Kosovo Protection Corps opens barracks near divided Mitrovica
Mitrovice [Kosovska Mitrovica], 27 April: Members of the 4th TMK [Kosovo Protection Corps] Zone inaugurated the new Shemsi Ahmeti Barracks today in Shipol [Sipolj] near Mitrovice. This zone also marked the 14th Guards Battalion Day. The ceremony was also attended by Lieutenant-General Agim Ceku, commander of the TMK.
"Anniversaries are the best days to look back to the past and see what we have achieved. Your work is valued very highly not only by the TMK General Staff, but also by others," Gen Ceku said.
"Commander Shemsi Ahmeti had a vision, objective, and ideal. His objective and ideal were to liberate the country. He put all his energies and skills to the service of this cause until the day of his heroic sacrifice. For him, the freedom of the country was sacred. He demonstrated this with his actions," said Brigadier General Zymer Halimi, the commander of the 4th TMK Zone.
Gen Halimi added, "He was an example of a sincere man, courageous and committed. He carried out his duties with honesty and a high level of responsibility. He was a man of his word. This is the character of a true soldier. This is a quality that characterizes all great men of our nation."
The inaugurated premises cost 160,000 euros, which came from the TMK budget, as well as from local donations, and the work was carried out by TMK members.
Source: Kosovapress news agency web site, Pristina, in Albanian 27 Apr 05
"Anniversaries are the best days to look back to the past and see what we have achieved. Your work is valued very highly not only by the TMK General Staff, but also by others," Gen Ceku said.
"Commander Shemsi Ahmeti had a vision, objective, and ideal. His objective and ideal were to liberate the country. He put all his energies and skills to the service of this cause until the day of his heroic sacrifice. For him, the freedom of the country was sacred. He demonstrated this with his actions," said Brigadier General Zymer Halimi, the commander of the 4th TMK Zone.
Gen Halimi added, "He was an example of a sincere man, courageous and committed. He carried out his duties with honesty and a high level of responsibility. He was a man of his word. This is the character of a true soldier. This is a quality that characterizes all great men of our nation."
The inaugurated premises cost 160,000 euros, which came from the TMK budget, as well as from local donations, and the work was carried out by TMK members.
Source: Kosovapress news agency web site, Pristina, in Albanian 27 Apr 05
Parties OK, Government without a stance, Presidency hasn’t heard (Koha)
While most of the political parties have supported the initiative of the US Office to create a mechanism that would prepare modalities for the final status talks, Koha Ditore writes that the Government of Kosovo does not have an official stance as yet, while the President is abroad on a visit and his office has not received official information.
Some of the political parties say that the mechanism should get the blessing of the Kosovo Assembly in order to directly represent the interests of the people of Kosovo.
The article further says that the US Office in Prishtina has already confirmed that discussions on creating such a mechanism have already taken place with several players involved. ‘The decision for creating such a mechanism should come from locals as we do not have preferences as to the possible candidate that could chair the mechanism’, information chief at US Office, Lawrence Corwin told the paper.
Name of Blerim Shala, the publisher of daily Zëri, has been mentioned recently as a possible candidate to chair the mechanism. According to the paper, he did not want to comment on it as ‘everything is at the initial stage and that there is nothing final as yet regarding the mechanism’.
Some of the political parties say that the mechanism should get the blessing of the Kosovo Assembly in order to directly represent the interests of the people of Kosovo.
The article further says that the US Office in Prishtina has already confirmed that discussions on creating such a mechanism have already taken place with several players involved. ‘The decision for creating such a mechanism should come from locals as we do not have preferences as to the possible candidate that could chair the mechanism’, information chief at US Office, Lawrence Corwin told the paper.
Name of Blerim Shala, the publisher of daily Zëri, has been mentioned recently as a possible candidate to chair the mechanism. According to the paper, he did not want to comment on it as ‘everything is at the initial stage and that there is nothing final as yet regarding the mechanism’.
EUMIK to replace UNMIK in 2006 (Lajm)
The paper reports on the front page that the UN Security Council has started preparations for the transfer of competencies from UNMIK to the European Union.
Sources of the paper claim that talks on the issue between the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the EU senior official Javier Solana have already started.
Lajm writes that the UN Mission has started to draft an exit strategy.
Sources of the paper claim that talks on the issue between the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the EU senior official Javier Solana have already started.
Lajm writes that the UN Mission has started to draft an exit strategy.
[SRSG] Unhappy with Daci (Express)
Express writes that the SRSG Jessen-Petersen is not happy with the recent behaviour of the parliamentary speaker Nexhat Daci.
Sources of the paper say that after a meeting Jessen-Petersen had with Prime Minister Kosumi he complained about the way Daci has chaired the last few meetings of the Kosovo Assembly.
Sources of the paper say that after a meeting Jessen-Petersen had with Prime Minister Kosumi he complained about the way Daci has chaired the last few meetings of the Kosovo Assembly.
Serb general pleads not guilty to war crimes
AMSTERDAM, April 28 (Reuters) - A top Serbian war crimes suspect pleaded not guilty on Thursday at the Hague tribunal to charges of planning and ordering the killing and expulsion of thousands of Kosovo Albanian civilians in 1999.
The surrender of former Yugoslav Army chief-of-staff Nebojsa Pavkovic to the U.N. tribunal on Monday removed what was widely seen as Serbia's last major obstacle to talks with the European Union on closer ties, the first step towards membership.
Pavkovic is charged with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war, including deportation, murder and persecution.
The surrender of former Yugoslav Army chief-of-staff Nebojsa Pavkovic to the U.N. tribunal on Monday removed what was widely seen as Serbia's last major obstacle to talks with the European Union on closer ties, the first step towards membership.
Pavkovic is charged with four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war, including deportation, murder and persecution.
New deputy head of U.N. mission in Kosovo appointed
PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed a new deputy head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, a statement said Thursday.
Werner Wnendt, a career German diplomat will be in charge of institution building in the U.N.-run province. He replaces a french diplomat, Pascal Fieschi, who finished his tour earlier this month.
Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999, after a NATO air war ended the Serb crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.
Before his appointment to the post, Wnendt held a senior position in the office of the high representative in Bosnia. He assumed his duties Thursday.
Werner Wnendt, a career German diplomat will be in charge of institution building in the U.N.-run province. He replaces a french diplomat, Pascal Fieschi, who finished his tour earlier this month.
Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since 1999, after a NATO air war ended the Serb crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians.
Before his appointment to the post, Wnendt held a senior position in the office of the high representative in Bosnia. He assumed his duties Thursday.
Kosovo government rejects "direct talks" with Serbia - official
Excerpt from report in English by independent internet news agency KosovaLive
Prishtina [Pristina], 27 April: The government rejected any possibility for direct talks with Belgrade, as Serbian President Boris Tadic requested, but left open the possibility for talks with Belgrade in an international conference and that at the presence of international community.
The spokesperson for the government, Daut Dauti, made those remarks in a press conference following the government's regular meeting yesterday.
He said that Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi is ready for direct talks with Belgrade, but only for technical issues, which have not to do with Kosova's [Kosovo] political status.
"The stance of the prime minister is clear that there will be no meetings of political nature with Belgrade. First, Belgrade should show seriousness and prove that they have met some international obligations and then there can be talks in an international meeting," Dauti said. [Passage omitted]
Dauti added that it is not ruled out the possibility of negotiations with Belgrade in an international meeting, at presence of the international community, particularity of the United States and Great Britain, who should have a leading role.
"The prime minister has made it clear that there will be no direct talks. The government will not ask Belgrade what status Kosova should have," he said. [Passage omitted]
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 27 Apr 05
Prishtina [Pristina], 27 April: The government rejected any possibility for direct talks with Belgrade, as Serbian President Boris Tadic requested, but left open the possibility for talks with Belgrade in an international conference and that at the presence of international community.
The spokesperson for the government, Daut Dauti, made those remarks in a press conference following the government's regular meeting yesterday.
He said that Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi is ready for direct talks with Belgrade, but only for technical issues, which have not to do with Kosova's [Kosovo] political status.
"The stance of the prime minister is clear that there will be no meetings of political nature with Belgrade. First, Belgrade should show seriousness and prove that they have met some international obligations and then there can be talks in an international meeting," Dauti said. [Passage omitted]
Dauti added that it is not ruled out the possibility of negotiations with Belgrade in an international meeting, at presence of the international community, particularity of the United States and Great Britain, who should have a leading role.
"The prime minister has made it clear that there will be no direct talks. The government will not ask Belgrade what status Kosova should have," he said. [Passage omitted]
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 27 Apr 05
UN Postpones Entry Permits For Foreigners Entering Kosovo
PRISTINA (AP)--The U.N. mission that administers Kosovo postponed the entry into force of a set of rules for foreigners entering the province.
Foreigners will be granted entry authorization for up to 90 days at border points starting from July 1 and not from May 1 as previously announced, the U.N. said.
Those entering this disputed U.N.-run province can extend entry permits at police stations throughout the province. Those working with the U.N. mission or NATO-led peacekeeping force and their children are exempt from the ruling.
Until now, anyone with a valid passport could enter the province.
The new regulations are aimed in part at stopping criminals and terrorists from entering the province.
Kosovo has been administered by the U.N. and patrolled by North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeepers since 1999, when a 78-day NATO air war halted a crackdown by Serb forces on ethnic-Albanian separatists
Foreigners will be granted entry authorization for up to 90 days at border points starting from July 1 and not from May 1 as previously announced, the U.N. said.
Those entering this disputed U.N.-run province can extend entry permits at police stations throughout the province. Those working with the U.N. mission or NATO-led peacekeeping force and their children are exempt from the ruling.
Until now, anyone with a valid passport could enter the province.
The new regulations are aimed in part at stopping criminals and terrorists from entering the province.
Kosovo has been administered by the U.N. and patrolled by North Atlantic Treaty Organization peacekeepers since 1999, when a 78-day NATO air war halted a crackdown by Serb forces on ethnic-Albanian separatists
Most poll participants say unemployment is Kosovo's biggest problem
Excerpt from unattributed report: "Kosovo's biggest problem remains unemployment", published by Kosovo Albanian newspaper Koha Ditore on 27 April
Prishtina [Pristina], 26 April: In two surveys conducted by the Index-Kosova agency in November 2004 and February 2005, 1,000 Kosovars (excluding Serbs) were asked to give their opinion about current worst problems in Kosova [Kosovo] and about the Kosova government's talks with Belgrade on technical issues and the country's final status. The results showed that most Kosovars -56 per cent (58 per cent in November 2004) - considered unemployment as the biggest problem in Kosova today.
Asked to give their opinion about which issues the government should be concerned with, most respondents, or 40 per cent, said the status issue is the most urgent of all. It is worth noting that regarding "the biggest problem in Kosova today", the country's unresolved status came second, after unemployment. In November 2004, 19 per cent of respondents were worried about the status issue, while in February 2005 the figure reached 26 per cent. [Passage omitted]
Regarding the level of support for talks with Serbia on Kosova's status, 49 per cent of respondents said they "partially" supported them, while in July 2003 the figure of those who supported talks with Serbia was 59 per cent. [Passage omitted]
Source: Koha Ditore, Pristina, in Albanian 27 Apr 05 pp 1, 5
Prishtina [Pristina], 26 April: In two surveys conducted by the Index-Kosova agency in November 2004 and February 2005, 1,000 Kosovars (excluding Serbs) were asked to give their opinion about current worst problems in Kosova [Kosovo] and about the Kosova government's talks with Belgrade on technical issues and the country's final status. The results showed that most Kosovars -56 per cent (58 per cent in November 2004) - considered unemployment as the biggest problem in Kosova today.
Asked to give their opinion about which issues the government should be concerned with, most respondents, or 40 per cent, said the status issue is the most urgent of all. It is worth noting that regarding "the biggest problem in Kosova today", the country's unresolved status came second, after unemployment. In November 2004, 19 per cent of respondents were worried about the status issue, while in February 2005 the figure reached 26 per cent. [Passage omitted]
Regarding the level of support for talks with Serbia on Kosova's status, 49 per cent of respondents said they "partially" supported them, while in July 2003 the figure of those who supported talks with Serbia was 59 per cent. [Passage omitted]
Source: Koha Ditore, Pristina, in Albanian 27 Apr 05 pp 1, 5
Families of Srebrenica war victims to meet with survivors from Kosovo conflict
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Families from the Bosnian enclave of Srebrenica were visiting Kosovo on Thursday to participate in a commemoration ceremony for Kosovo's war victims.
Representatives from Srebrenica left for Kosovo on Wednesday and participated in a commemoration of the 374 victims killed in a village in Kosovo in 1999.
Three family associations of victims of the Srebrenica massacre "will show their solidarity and sympathy for the suffering of the Kosovo families," the International Commission on Missing Persons said in a statement.
The 1995 Srebrenica massacre -- in which Bosnian Serb forces overran the eastern enclave, a declared U.N. safe zone, and killed about 8,000 Muslim men and boys during 1992-95 Bosnian war -- was worst civilian massacre since World War II.
And in neighboring Serbia-Montenegro, thousands were killed in a 1999 war in the province of Kosovo.
Thousands are still missing in both former Yugoslav countries.
"Another objective of the visit is raising public awareness about the missing persons issue in the region and the need for further efforts to clarify their fate," the ICMP said.
On Thursday, they will meet with their Kosovo counterparts to discuss planning annual commemorations, memorials and how to deal with such issues as the identification process, remains found in mass graves and cooperating with government authorities, the group said.
Representatives from Srebrenica left for Kosovo on Wednesday and participated in a commemoration of the 374 victims killed in a village in Kosovo in 1999.
Three family associations of victims of the Srebrenica massacre "will show their solidarity and sympathy for the suffering of the Kosovo families," the International Commission on Missing Persons said in a statement.
The 1995 Srebrenica massacre -- in which Bosnian Serb forces overran the eastern enclave, a declared U.N. safe zone, and killed about 8,000 Muslim men and boys during 1992-95 Bosnian war -- was worst civilian massacre since World War II.
And in neighboring Serbia-Montenegro, thousands were killed in a 1999 war in the province of Kosovo.
Thousands are still missing in both former Yugoslav countries.
"Another objective of the visit is raising public awareness about the missing persons issue in the region and the need for further efforts to clarify their fate," the ICMP said.
On Thursday, they will meet with their Kosovo counterparts to discuss planning annual commemorations, memorials and how to deal with such issues as the identification process, remains found in mass graves and cooperating with government authorities, the group said.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Picture of the Day - Kosovo
Two ethnic Albanian boys play football outside the Ferronickeli mine in Glogovac, 20 kilometres from the Kosovo capital Pristina. Two companies offered 27 and 22 million euros ($35 and $29 million) for the Glogovac ferro-nickel mine in Kosovo on Wednesday in the U.N.-run province's most significant privatisation since the 1999 war.
They will enter a second round on May 11, at which point the U.N.-run province's privatisation body, the Kosovo Trust Agency, will decide whether to sell or re-tender the mine. U.N. officials refused to name the bidders. Picture taken April 15, 2005. REUTERS/Hazir Reka/
They will enter a second round on May 11, at which point the U.N.-run province's privatisation body, the Kosovo Trust Agency, will decide whether to sell or re-tender the mine. U.N. officials refused to name the bidders. Picture taken April 15, 2005. REUTERS/Hazir Reka/
Shaky Balkans need 'new strategy,' panel says - The International Herald Tribune
By Judy Dempsey International Herald Tribune
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2005
BERLIN A high-powered International Commission on the Balkans has issued a scathing critique of EU and UN policies in the Balkans, accusing both organizations of hindering democratic growth and warning that bleak economic and political conditions may lead to renewed instability.
"The red lights could soon start blinking if we don't take stock of the reality on the ground," said Alex Rondos, former Greek ambassador at large and member of the commission. "The region is not as stable as the EU makes out."
The commission asserts that democracy has been stifled in Bosnia "by the coercive authority" of Paddy Ashdown, the EU's high representative.
The international representatives, the commission says, "dabble in social engineering but are not held accountable when their policies go wrong. If Europe's neocolonial rule becomes further entrenched, it will encourage economic discontent and European electorates would see it as an immense and unnecessary financial and moral burden."
The commission challenged the European Union to formally offer Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia, Macedonia and the province of Kosovo a timetable for admission to the Union, warning that failure to do so could lurch the Balkans into another period of instability and leave the EU mired in the region.
The recommendations by the independent commission, made public in Europe's main capitals over the past few days, propose that in late 2006 the EU should sponsor a summit meeting "that aims to present all Balkan countries with their accession road maps."
Once the countries have met the EU's criteria on respect for human and ethnic rights, implementation of the rule of law and the introduction of a functioning market economy, the commission says these countries could start accession negotiations around 2009-2010 and be ready to join by 2014-2015.
The commission's main argument is that the EU and United Nations, two of the biggest international players in the Balkans, must start devising a long-term strategy that will move beyond the 1996 Dayton accords that stopped the five years of brutal civil and ethnic wars between Serbs, Croats and Bosnians.
It says Dayton, brokered by the United States, is inappropriate for tackling unemployment, building strong state institutions, reviving political life and getting rid of a culture of dependence created by largely unaccountable international protectorates in Kosovo and Bosnia.
"The Balkans need a new strategy if it is to translate Brussels' stated political aim to integrate the region into reality," says the 64-page report. "The commission acknowledges there are no quick and easy solutions for the Balkans and that ultimately it is up to the people of the region to win their own future. But we are convinced that the international community and the European Union in particular have a historical responsibility to face and a decisive role to play in winning the future of the region."
The commission - which includes Richard von Weizsäcker, a former German president; Giuliano Amato, a former Italian prime minister; and Kiro Gligorov, a former Macedonian president - pulls no punches in criticizing the UN and EU's performance in Kosovo and Bosnia. In Kosovo, where the NATO military alliance intervened in 1999 to stop the ethnic cleansing carried out against ethnic Albanians by President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, the commission says the international community "has clearly failed in its attempts to bring security and development to the province."
It says that UN Mission in Kosovo, the protectorate that is supported by the EU and is known as Unmik, has failed to give the Serb minority any stake in the province. "Serbs in Kosovo are living imprisoned in their enclaves with no freedom of movement, no jobs, no opportunity for meaningful integration into Kosovo society."
Over the past few years, argues the commission, "Unmik has on several occasions been actively involved in a policy of reverse discrimination in Kosovo. Under Unmik's leadership, the number of Serbs employed in the Kosovo Electric Co. has declined from more than 4,000 in 1999 to 29 now, out of a total over 8,000 employees."
Additionally, the commission says it is time that the EU and Unmik tackle head on Kosovo's status with Serbia, of which it is still constitutionally a province. "Kosovo's independence will not solve all the territory's problems, but we are concerned that postponing the status talks will lead to a further deterioration," says the report.
THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2005
BERLIN A high-powered International Commission on the Balkans has issued a scathing critique of EU and UN policies in the Balkans, accusing both organizations of hindering democratic growth and warning that bleak economic and political conditions may lead to renewed instability.
"The red lights could soon start blinking if we don't take stock of the reality on the ground," said Alex Rondos, former Greek ambassador at large and member of the commission. "The region is not as stable as the EU makes out."
The commission asserts that democracy has been stifled in Bosnia "by the coercive authority" of Paddy Ashdown, the EU's high representative.
The international representatives, the commission says, "dabble in social engineering but are not held accountable when their policies go wrong. If Europe's neocolonial rule becomes further entrenched, it will encourage economic discontent and European electorates would see it as an immense and unnecessary financial and moral burden."
The commission challenged the European Union to formally offer Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia, Macedonia and the province of Kosovo a timetable for admission to the Union, warning that failure to do so could lurch the Balkans into another period of instability and leave the EU mired in the region.
The recommendations by the independent commission, made public in Europe's main capitals over the past few days, propose that in late 2006 the EU should sponsor a summit meeting "that aims to present all Balkan countries with their accession road maps."
Once the countries have met the EU's criteria on respect for human and ethnic rights, implementation of the rule of law and the introduction of a functioning market economy, the commission says these countries could start accession negotiations around 2009-2010 and be ready to join by 2014-2015.
The commission's main argument is that the EU and United Nations, two of the biggest international players in the Balkans, must start devising a long-term strategy that will move beyond the 1996 Dayton accords that stopped the five years of brutal civil and ethnic wars between Serbs, Croats and Bosnians.
It says Dayton, brokered by the United States, is inappropriate for tackling unemployment, building strong state institutions, reviving political life and getting rid of a culture of dependence created by largely unaccountable international protectorates in Kosovo and Bosnia.
"The Balkans need a new strategy if it is to translate Brussels' stated political aim to integrate the region into reality," says the 64-page report. "The commission acknowledges there are no quick and easy solutions for the Balkans and that ultimately it is up to the people of the region to win their own future. But we are convinced that the international community and the European Union in particular have a historical responsibility to face and a decisive role to play in winning the future of the region."
The commission - which includes Richard von Weizsäcker, a former German president; Giuliano Amato, a former Italian prime minister; and Kiro Gligorov, a former Macedonian president - pulls no punches in criticizing the UN and EU's performance in Kosovo and Bosnia. In Kosovo, where the NATO military alliance intervened in 1999 to stop the ethnic cleansing carried out against ethnic Albanians by President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia, the commission says the international community "has clearly failed in its attempts to bring security and development to the province."
It says that UN Mission in Kosovo, the protectorate that is supported by the EU and is known as Unmik, has failed to give the Serb minority any stake in the province. "Serbs in Kosovo are living imprisoned in their enclaves with no freedom of movement, no jobs, no opportunity for meaningful integration into Kosovo society."
Over the past few years, argues the commission, "Unmik has on several occasions been actively involved in a policy of reverse discrimination in Kosovo. Under Unmik's leadership, the number of Serbs employed in the Kosovo Electric Co. has declined from more than 4,000 in 1999 to 29 now, out of a total over 8,000 employees."
Additionally, the commission says it is time that the EU and Unmik tackle head on Kosovo's status with Serbia, of which it is still constitutionally a province. "Kosovo's independence will not solve all the territory's problems, but we are concerned that postponing the status talks will lead to a further deterioration," says the report.
High stakes in Kosovo's freedom bid
CHRISTIAN JENNINGS
IN PRISTINA
FOR the people of Kosovo, it is the question on which their future hangs: When and how will they get their independence?
Independence means jobs, self-determination, their own country and a final separation from the hated Serbs in Belgrade for Kosovo’s 90 per cent Albanian population.
For the international officials from the United Nations and NATO, giving Kosovo autonomy could mean putting it on to the train to Europe.
Soren Jessen Petersen, the UN’s de facto pro-consul in Kosovo, is the man whose task it is to negotiate a resolution to the thorny question of the area’s future status.
The tiny former Yugoslav province has been under international supervision by the UN and NATO since Serb forces withdrew in June 1999.
UN Security Council Resolution 1244 mandated the international community’s entry into Kosovo after an illegal but legitimate 78-day NATO bombing campaign forced Slobodan Milosevic’s atrocity-prone Serbs to the negotiating table.
The aspirant statelet has been in political limbo ever since.
"We’re almost into the final stretch, and as we get more close to status discussions the stakes are higher and the risks increase," said Mr Jessen Petersen.
"There are three phases. One is status, two is UN support and monitoring, and three is transition and phasing out. In between phases two and three will come a new UN Security Council resolution."
Kosovo will then have its status determined. But will this be full independence? David Gowan, Britain’s ambassador to Belgrade, suggested this week that independence was one option being considered.
The UK is one of the six countries that make up the so-called Contact Group, along with France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States.
The Contact Group is currently considering how much progress Kosovo as a whole has made towards fulfilling an internationally-decided list of "standards" in areas such as good democratic governance and respect for ethnic minorities.
Most importantly, if extremist Albanians can refrain from political and ethnic violence it is likely that the international community will mark their standards box with a tick.
The way will then be clear for talks on "status" to begin. If all goes well, says Mr Jessen-Petersen, UNMIK will then oversee the process of transition of government and sovereignty once a new UN Security Council resolution has been signed.
IN PRISTINA
FOR the people of Kosovo, it is the question on which their future hangs: When and how will they get their independence?
Independence means jobs, self-determination, their own country and a final separation from the hated Serbs in Belgrade for Kosovo’s 90 per cent Albanian population.
For the international officials from the United Nations and NATO, giving Kosovo autonomy could mean putting it on to the train to Europe.
Soren Jessen Petersen, the UN’s de facto pro-consul in Kosovo, is the man whose task it is to negotiate a resolution to the thorny question of the area’s future status.
The tiny former Yugoslav province has been under international supervision by the UN and NATO since Serb forces withdrew in June 1999.
UN Security Council Resolution 1244 mandated the international community’s entry into Kosovo after an illegal but legitimate 78-day NATO bombing campaign forced Slobodan Milosevic’s atrocity-prone Serbs to the negotiating table.
The aspirant statelet has been in political limbo ever since.
"We’re almost into the final stretch, and as we get more close to status discussions the stakes are higher and the risks increase," said Mr Jessen Petersen.
"There are three phases. One is status, two is UN support and monitoring, and three is transition and phasing out. In between phases two and three will come a new UN Security Council resolution."
Kosovo will then have its status determined. But will this be full independence? David Gowan, Britain’s ambassador to Belgrade, suggested this week that independence was one option being considered.
The UK is one of the six countries that make up the so-called Contact Group, along with France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States.
The Contact Group is currently considering how much progress Kosovo as a whole has made towards fulfilling an internationally-decided list of "standards" in areas such as good democratic governance and respect for ethnic minorities.
Most importantly, if extremist Albanians can refrain from political and ethnic violence it is likely that the international community will mark their standards box with a tick.
The way will then be clear for talks on "status" to begin. If all goes well, says Mr Jessen-Petersen, UNMIK will then oversee the process of transition of government and sovereignty once a new UN Security Council resolution has been signed.
Official regrets Kosovo Albanians refuse to discuss power supply to Serb areas
Belgrade, 27 April: The dialogue conducted by the Pristina and Belgrade working groups on energy [held in Belgrade today] was constructive and productive, said British diplomat Jolly Dickson, who chaired the meeting on behalf of the EU.
"Both sides agreed to draft reports concerning the situation in the electric energy system, and the reports will serve the preparation of the next meeting of the working groups," Dickson said at the Serbia-Montenegro Palace.
He added that "both sided expressed regret that there was a break in the work of the working groups", noting that the aim of today's meeting was "to conduct professional and technical dialogue" regarding energy issues.
Members of the Albanian working group declined to give any statements to journalists at the Serbia-Montenegro Palace, while a member of the Serbian delegation, [Serb List for Kosovo-Metohija official] Randjel Nojkic, said that "no agreement was reached about supplying Serb villages with electric energy, which was our priority".
"I am sorry that representatives of the international community expressed solidarity with the [ethnic] Albanians who assessed that delivering electricity to Serb villages was Kosovo's internal problem and did not want to discuss this today. Nevertheless, we managed to place this problem on the agenda for the next meeting," Nojkic said.
Nojkic added that "the Serbs must participate in Kosovo institutions", noting that this was the only way for Serbs to show that the Standards were not being fully implemented, and also to exercise their rights.
Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1313 gmt 27 Apr 05
"Both sides agreed to draft reports concerning the situation in the electric energy system, and the reports will serve the preparation of the next meeting of the working groups," Dickson said at the Serbia-Montenegro Palace.
He added that "both sided expressed regret that there was a break in the work of the working groups", noting that the aim of today's meeting was "to conduct professional and technical dialogue" regarding energy issues.
Members of the Albanian working group declined to give any statements to journalists at the Serbia-Montenegro Palace, while a member of the Serbian delegation, [Serb List for Kosovo-Metohija official] Randjel Nojkic, said that "no agreement was reached about supplying Serb villages with electric energy, which was our priority".
"I am sorry that representatives of the international community expressed solidarity with the [ethnic] Albanians who assessed that delivering electricity to Serb villages was Kosovo's internal problem and did not want to discuss this today. Nevertheless, we managed to place this problem on the agenda for the next meeting," Nojkic said.
Nojkic added that "the Serbs must participate in Kosovo institutions", noting that this was the only way for Serbs to show that the Standards were not being fully implemented, and also to exercise their rights.
Source: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1313 gmt 27 Apr 05
Juncker says not sure time right to solve Kosovo
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday he was not convinced the time was right to find a definite solution to the status of Kosovo.
The United States hopes to open final status talks on Kosovo in September, provided the province in southern Serbia proves its democratic credentials.
"I'm not convinced the moment has come to solve the question of the status of Kosovo in a definite way," Juncker, who holds the EU's rotating presidency in the first half of 2005, told a news conference at the Council of Europe.
Kosovo, legally a province of Serbia, has been administered by the United Nations and NATO-led peacekeepers since 1999, after a bombing campaign that pushed out Serbian troops.
The United Nations took control of Kosovo six years ago and put its final status on hold. Final status talks would eventually determine whether Kosovo will become independent, as the majority ethnic Albanians want, or remain part of Serbia.
But before any talks begin, the United Nations has demanded that Kosovo meets standards on issues such as democratic institutions and minority rights.
A spate of bombings and shootings has hit the province since Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned last month to face war crimes charges at the U.N. tribunal in The Hague.
The United States hopes to open final status talks on Kosovo in September, provided the province in southern Serbia proves its democratic credentials.
"I'm not convinced the moment has come to solve the question of the status of Kosovo in a definite way," Juncker, who holds the EU's rotating presidency in the first half of 2005, told a news conference at the Council of Europe.
Kosovo, legally a province of Serbia, has been administered by the United Nations and NATO-led peacekeepers since 1999, after a bombing campaign that pushed out Serbian troops.
The United Nations took control of Kosovo six years ago and put its final status on hold. Final status talks would eventually determine whether Kosovo will become independent, as the majority ethnic Albanians want, or remain part of Serbia.
But before any talks begin, the United Nations has demanded that Kosovo meets standards on issues such as democratic institutions and minority rights.
A spate of bombings and shootings has hit the province since Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj resigned last month to face war crimes charges at the U.N. tribunal in The Hague.
UNMIK says direct talks between Kosovo and Serbia to go ahead
[Announcer] Although President Ibrahim Rugova has rejected direct dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade, the dialogue will happen anyway, UNMIK [United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] officials have said while referring to [UNMIK chief] Soeren Jessen-Petersen's appeal to Kosova [Kosovo] political leaders to find common ground on key issues which would take Kosova towards the final status talks.
[Reporter Aferdita Carkaxhiu] There will be a direct Prishtina-Belgrade dialogue, UNMIK officials said at a press conference. They said that that UNMIK chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen had invited Kosova political leaders to work together towards reaching an all inclusive consensus.
[UNMIK Spokesperson Marcia Poole in English with Albanian voice-over] Jessen-Petersen has encouraged the government and the opposition and all Kosova political leaders to work together to reach an all inclusive consensus on key Kosova issues in the coming months, including decentralization and preparations for talks on the final status.
[Reporter] Kosova President Ibrahim Rugova responded negatively to the invitation by Serbian President Boris Tadic for direct talks. Nonetheless, according to Rugova, there is still a possibility, but only in an international meeting.
Several days ago the UNMIK chief said that he was looking into the possibility of organizing an international meeting but, according to UNMIK Spokesperson Marcia Poole, UNMIK chief Jessen-Petersen had encouraged direct talks between Prishtina and Belgrade.
Referring to Serbian President Tadic's invitation, the UNMIK chief encouraged a direct meeting between Mr Tadic and President Rugova. Jessen-Petersen has said that they are neighbours and although the final status has not been solved they will still remain so. Yet, if there is an international conference in the region or elsewhere it would have been a good opportunity to meet.
Speaking about talks on Kosova's status, Poole said that although there were many partners there are only two secure places on the table - Prishtina on one side and Belgrade on the other, while others are not known.
One thing is clear: the final decision on Kosova's final status will be taken by the [UN] Security Council, UNMIK officials said.
Source: KohaVision TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1700 gmt 27 Apr 05
[Reporter Aferdita Carkaxhiu] There will be a direct Prishtina-Belgrade dialogue, UNMIK officials said at a press conference. They said that that UNMIK chief Soeren Jessen-Petersen had invited Kosova political leaders to work together towards reaching an all inclusive consensus.
[UNMIK Spokesperson Marcia Poole in English with Albanian voice-over] Jessen-Petersen has encouraged the government and the opposition and all Kosova political leaders to work together to reach an all inclusive consensus on key Kosova issues in the coming months, including decentralization and preparations for talks on the final status.
[Reporter] Kosova President Ibrahim Rugova responded negatively to the invitation by Serbian President Boris Tadic for direct talks. Nonetheless, according to Rugova, there is still a possibility, but only in an international meeting.
Several days ago the UNMIK chief said that he was looking into the possibility of organizing an international meeting but, according to UNMIK Spokesperson Marcia Poole, UNMIK chief Jessen-Petersen had encouraged direct talks between Prishtina and Belgrade.
Referring to Serbian President Tadic's invitation, the UNMIK chief encouraged a direct meeting between Mr Tadic and President Rugova. Jessen-Petersen has said that they are neighbours and although the final status has not been solved they will still remain so. Yet, if there is an international conference in the region or elsewhere it would have been a good opportunity to meet.
Speaking about talks on Kosova's status, Poole said that although there were many partners there are only two secure places on the table - Prishtina on one side and Belgrade on the other, while others are not known.
One thing is clear: the final decision on Kosova's final status will be taken by the [UN] Security Council, UNMIK officials said.
Source: KohaVision TV, Pristina, in Albanian 1700 gmt 27 Apr 05
Kosovo president reiterates independence plea in Strasbourg
Brussels, 27 April: Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova spoke today at a Kosovo discussion held in the Belgian senate, with once again, no Kosovo Serb officials present at the conference. Rugova stated that he believed that the US and the European Union would accept the independence of Kosovo. The Kosovo president said that other countries would confirm Kosovo's independence as well.
"Kosovo is able to exist as an independent state, it has natural riches. Independence would mean stability for the entire region and good relations for Kosovo with all of its neighbours, except for Serbia," Rugova said. Rugova said that he was encouraging the integration of Serbs in the region's institutional life and work and was asking for freedom of movement for all minorities. He said that the Kosovo government and UNMIK were working on the restoration of communities, houses and other buildings destroyed in last year's March riots and added that 90 per cent of the reconstruction had been finished.
Several officials who are participating in the discussion today mentioned that, without the presence of Serb officials at the conference, the meeting lost its objectivity and was not a true democratic discussion because the Serbian side could not present its stances and ideas.
Senate representative An Mari Lizen said that the Belgian government asked to have Kosovo Coordination Centre chairman Nebojsa Covic present at the meeting, but Rugova said that he would not participate if Covic was involved. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted that a Serbian official be present and recommended that the Serbia-Montenegro ambassador to Belgium, Milica Pejanovic Djursic, be called to present the stance of Covic at the conference. The Serbian government rejected this proposal.
Source: Radio B92 text web site, Belgrade, in English 1305 gmt 27 Apr 05
"Kosovo is able to exist as an independent state, it has natural riches. Independence would mean stability for the entire region and good relations for Kosovo with all of its neighbours, except for Serbia," Rugova said. Rugova said that he was encouraging the integration of Serbs in the region's institutional life and work and was asking for freedom of movement for all minorities. He said that the Kosovo government and UNMIK were working on the restoration of communities, houses and other buildings destroyed in last year's March riots and added that 90 per cent of the reconstruction had been finished.
Several officials who are participating in the discussion today mentioned that, without the presence of Serb officials at the conference, the meeting lost its objectivity and was not a true democratic discussion because the Serbian side could not present its stances and ideas.
Senate representative An Mari Lizen said that the Belgian government asked to have Kosovo Coordination Centre chairman Nebojsa Covic present at the meeting, but Rugova said that he would not participate if Covic was involved. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs insisted that a Serbian official be present and recommended that the Serbia-Montenegro ambassador to Belgium, Milica Pejanovic Djursic, be called to present the stance of Covic at the conference. The Serbian government rejected this proposal.
Source: Radio B92 text web site, Belgrade, in English 1305 gmt 27 Apr 05
Kosovo census to be held in April 2006
Prishtina [Pristina], 25 April: The registration of the population and property in Kosova [Kosovo] will be held in the spring of 2006 at a cost to the Kosova Government of 8 million euros. Officials of the Ministry of Public Services and the Kosova bureau of statistics confirmed this on Monday [25 April].
According to government officials, the population census in Kosova has been dragged out since 1999 as a result of the lack of a law on a census. The Kosova population has not been registered since 1981. Meanwhile, Serbia, which claims that Kosova is part of it, has conducted a census without including Kosova.
It is believed over 2 million people live in Kosova, while a large number of its citizens live abroad and a number of others are displaced.
According to government officials, the population census in Kosova has been dragged out since 1999 as a result of the lack of a law on a census. The Kosova population has not been registered since 1981. Meanwhile, Serbia, which claims that Kosova is part of it, has conducted a census without including Kosova.
It is believed over 2 million people live in Kosova, while a large number of its citizens live abroad and a number of others are displaced.
Senior U.S. defense official visits Kosovo
PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - A senior U.S. defense official arrives in Kosovo Wednesday for meetings with the disputed province's international administrators and its government.
Mira Ricardel, acting U.S. assistant secretary for defense, is to meet with the top U.N. official in the province, Soren Jessen-Petersen and with the province's Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi.
Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations and patrolled by NATO-led peacekeepers since June 1999 following the alliance's bombing campaign aimed at stopping Serb forces' crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists.
There are some 1,700 U.S. troops serving with the 17,000 strong NATO-led peacekeeping force in this U.N.-run province. The alliance said earlier it will streamline its force as the time nears to solve the disputed status of the province.
Mira Ricardel, acting U.S. assistant secretary for defense, is to meet with the top U.N. official in the province, Soren Jessen-Petersen and with the province's Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi.
Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations and patrolled by NATO-led peacekeepers since June 1999 following the alliance's bombing campaign aimed at stopping Serb forces' crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists.
There are some 1,700 U.S. troops serving with the 17,000 strong NATO-led peacekeeping force in this U.N.-run province. The alliance said earlier it will streamline its force as the time nears to solve the disputed status of the province.
Blerim Shala heads preparations for status? (Express)
Express reports on the front page that the US Office in Prishtina has proposed a mechanism that would prepare Kosovars for talks on final status. According to the paper, Zëri publisher Blerim Shala has been proposed as head of this mechanism.
The paper also reports that at the same time, UNMIK is preparing a draft-proposal on this issue. Citing unnamed sources, Express says that UNMIK chief Søren Jessen-Petersen discussed this issue with UN officials in New York last week.
The paper also reports that at the same time, UNMIK is preparing a draft-proposal on this issue. Citing unnamed sources, Express says that UNMIK chief Søren Jessen-Petersen discussed this issue with UN officials in New York last week.
Rugova: EU and US to recognize Kosovo’s independence
All daily newspapers cover the visit that Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova is paying to Belgium. In a debate organized by the Belgian Senate, Rugova said independence was the only solution for Kosovo and the most appropriate for the region.
Zëri quotes Rugova as saying that the European Union and the US should recognize Kosovo’s independence. ‘This is an optimal solution. It is a modern solution in the European spirit,’ he added.
Koha Ditore reports that Doris Pack, member of the European Parliament, called on Rugova to meet Serbian President Tadic. ‘Allow me to call on you not to stagnate but move ahead and meet Tadic and Kostunica. It is very important for you to go to Belgrade,’ Pack was quoted as saying.
The paper also quotes Erhard Busek, coordinator of the Stability Pact, as saying, ‘Kosovo is a European issue and we must work in finding a solution for this.’
Zëri reports that UNMIK has no date for an eventual meeting between Rugova and Tadic. The paper quotes UNMIK DPI Director Hua Jiang as saying, ‘There is no date or timeframe for this meeting.’
In an opinion piece in Express, analyst Mufail Limani says there is no way for Rugova to avoid the meeting with Tadic.
The same paper quotes ORA leader Veton Surroi as saying it is not wise to avoid dialogue with Belgrade. ‘I have supported dialogue with Belgrade and I think it should be more advanced than it is now.’
Zëri quotes Rugova as saying that the European Union and the US should recognize Kosovo’s independence. ‘This is an optimal solution. It is a modern solution in the European spirit,’ he added.
Koha Ditore reports that Doris Pack, member of the European Parliament, called on Rugova to meet Serbian President Tadic. ‘Allow me to call on you not to stagnate but move ahead and meet Tadic and Kostunica. It is very important for you to go to Belgrade,’ Pack was quoted as saying.
The paper also quotes Erhard Busek, coordinator of the Stability Pact, as saying, ‘Kosovo is a European issue and we must work in finding a solution for this.’
Zëri reports that UNMIK has no date for an eventual meeting between Rugova and Tadic. The paper quotes UNMIK DPI Director Hua Jiang as saying, ‘There is no date or timeframe for this meeting.’
In an opinion piece in Express, analyst Mufail Limani says there is no way for Rugova to avoid the meeting with Tadic.
The same paper quotes ORA leader Veton Surroi as saying it is not wise to avoid dialogue with Belgrade. ‘I have supported dialogue with Belgrade and I think it should be more advanced than it is now.’
Kosovo minister approves formation of Standardization Agency
Prishtina [Pristina], 25 April: Trade and Industry Minister Bujar Dugolli signed into effect the administrative directive for organizing and functioning of the Kosova Standardization Agency [KSA], which will deal with accrediting, standardization and ensuring of quality of industrial products.
The minister also has allocated a budget of 60,000 euros for the KSA for 2005.
Minister Dugolli said that the KSA will make sure that the European Standards in terms of quality are applied. "This agency will accredit institutes who will deal with control of products quality," Dugolli said.
In addition, this agency will be a great help for citizens, who often were victims of bad quality, to assess and know the worth of products.
The ministry of trade and industry is cooperating with the Institute for Enterprise Management and Engineering and with the Kosova Chamber of Commerce for better functioning of this agency.
The KSA will be run by the board, which will have an executive director. The standardization, accreditation, and meteorology units will have a director each.
The board is to announce a job vacancy for the position of chief of executive soon.
This will be the year of beginning of the KSA work and of training of its staff, whereas as of the next year the KSA will start with licensing of labs and certification of products that will be launched in the market.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 25 Apr 05
The minister also has allocated a budget of 60,000 euros for the KSA for 2005.
Minister Dugolli said that the KSA will make sure that the European Standards in terms of quality are applied. "This agency will accredit institutes who will deal with control of products quality," Dugolli said.
In addition, this agency will be a great help for citizens, who often were victims of bad quality, to assess and know the worth of products.
The ministry of trade and industry is cooperating with the Institute for Enterprise Management and Engineering and with the Kosova Chamber of Commerce for better functioning of this agency.
The KSA will be run by the board, which will have an executive director. The standardization, accreditation, and meteorology units will have a director each.
The board is to announce a job vacancy for the position of chief of executive soon.
This will be the year of beginning of the KSA work and of training of its staff, whereas as of the next year the KSA will start with licensing of labs and certification of products that will be launched in the market.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 25 Apr 05
Nickel Plant In Kosovo Goes Up For Sale Wed - UN
PRISTINA (AP)--A nickel plant in Kosovo went up for sale Wednesday as the U.N. mission in Kosovo agreed to give a mining license to the most successful bidder, the U.N. said.
Companies have been asked to table bids for Feronikeli plant in central Kosovo, which was badly damaged during North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing of Serb forces in this disputed province in 1999 and is one of the major plants in the economically depressed province.
The U.N., which administers the province, also agreed to provide potential buyers with the license for exploitation and exploration of the mines, said Mechtild Henneke, a U.N. spokeswoman.
Final agreement with potential buyers will be reached sometime in May, officials said.
Kosovo is the poorest region in the Western Balkans with an annual gross domestic product per capita of around EUR1,000 and a jobless rate of at least 50%, according to European Union figures, despite the fact that is rich in mines and minerals.
The privatization of Feronikeli would be the most important selloff of socially owned enterprises, a term used for enterprises owned by the workers and managers under a system set up under communist-era Yugoslavia.
Privatization is also among the most sensitive economic issues in Kosovo, a disputed province which was put under U.N. protection in June 1999 following a NATO air war that pushed Serb forces out of the province after they cracked down on ethnic Albanians seeking independence.
The process of privatization is complex, in part because it is unclear whether Kosovo will become independent or remain part of Serbia-Montenegro, the successor state of Yugoslavia.
Serbia's authorities have fiercely opposed the process of privatization.
Many of the companies in the province are overwhelmingly inefficient and often dilapidated after years of neglect and ethnic conflict in the province.
Companies have been asked to table bids for Feronikeli plant in central Kosovo, which was badly damaged during North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombing of Serb forces in this disputed province in 1999 and is one of the major plants in the economically depressed province.
The U.N., which administers the province, also agreed to provide potential buyers with the license for exploitation and exploration of the mines, said Mechtild Henneke, a U.N. spokeswoman.
Final agreement with potential buyers will be reached sometime in May, officials said.
Kosovo is the poorest region in the Western Balkans with an annual gross domestic product per capita of around EUR1,000 and a jobless rate of at least 50%, according to European Union figures, despite the fact that is rich in mines and minerals.
The privatization of Feronikeli would be the most important selloff of socially owned enterprises, a term used for enterprises owned by the workers and managers under a system set up under communist-era Yugoslavia.
Privatization is also among the most sensitive economic issues in Kosovo, a disputed province which was put under U.N. protection in June 1999 following a NATO air war that pushed Serb forces out of the province after they cracked down on ethnic Albanians seeking independence.
The process of privatization is complex, in part because it is unclear whether Kosovo will become independent or remain part of Serbia-Montenegro, the successor state of Yugoslavia.
Serbia's authorities have fiercely opposed the process of privatization.
Many of the companies in the province are overwhelmingly inefficient and often dilapidated after years of neglect and ethnic conflict in the province.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Kosovo's Thaci wants US to continue playing "leading role"
Prishtina [Pristina], 25 April: The head of the Democratic Party of Kosova [Kosovo] [PDK], Hashim Thaci, said today that the US should continue to have a leading role on the issue of standards and that of political status for Kosova.
He made those comments following a meeting with the chief of the US Office in Prishtina [USOP], Philip Goldberg.
Thaci said that they both highlighted the need for acceleration of work in implementing the standards "and thus create circumstances to have an international recognition for the reality that has been created in Kosova - recognition of Kosova's statehood," he said.
Thaci also said that he briefed the US diplomat with the concerns of the opposition with "non-democratic actions of the parliament and with the concerns raised by the PDK about instalment of political crime and economic crime in the governmental structures."
"No one is above the law and I believe that we will see quick actions from the side of domestic and international justice," he said.
Whereas Goldberg said that thy discussed the ways to overcome the currently created political climate. "The climate in the parliament and outside the parliament can sometimes become overheated and the idea now is how best to move forward on issues, on which everyone agrees here - on issues having to do with final status, status review - and create a better climate and a better position for both the opposition and the government to work together" he said.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 25 Apr 05
He made those comments following a meeting with the chief of the US Office in Prishtina [USOP], Philip Goldberg.
Thaci said that they both highlighted the need for acceleration of work in implementing the standards "and thus create circumstances to have an international recognition for the reality that has been created in Kosova - recognition of Kosova's statehood," he said.
Thaci also said that he briefed the US diplomat with the concerns of the opposition with "non-democratic actions of the parliament and with the concerns raised by the PDK about instalment of political crime and economic crime in the governmental structures."
"No one is above the law and I believe that we will see quick actions from the side of domestic and international justice," he said.
Whereas Goldberg said that thy discussed the ways to overcome the currently created political climate. "The climate in the parliament and outside the parliament can sometimes become overheated and the idea now is how best to move forward on issues, on which everyone agrees here - on issues having to do with final status, status review - and create a better climate and a better position for both the opposition and the government to work together" he said.
Source: KosovaLive web site, Pristina, in English 25 Apr 05
Blerim Shala: Courage for public speaking
The guilty person has been found. Former Foreign Minister of Serbia and Montenegro, Goran Svilanovic, who along with several politicians and diplomats signed the Report of the International Committee on the Balkans, has been experiencing a denigrating and demonizing campaign in Belgrade, because the above-mentioned report foresees the independence of Kosovo.
Posters of Svilanovic with a white Albanian traditional cap have been put up in many places in Belgrade, in order to ‘prove’ his ‘treason’. Well-known Serbian politicians are also among those who criticize the former Serbian top diplomat. Svilanovic in fact was forced to leave the parliamentary group of Boris Tadic’s Democratic Party, while the latter is seen by the West as a leader of genuine democratic forces.
Everything that is happening with Svilanovic only proves what has been known even earlier: the Serbian society is far from reforms; it remains hostage to the political belief that has ruled in Serbia for almost 20 years.
On the other hand, Svilanovic started speaking in public about things that are also known by the Serbian political leadership: Kosovo is de facto independent and there can be no return to pre-1999.
Svilanovic only said aloud what all Serbian politicians say silently in private meetings with Western diplomats and politicians.
Posters of Svilanovic with a white Albanian traditional cap have been put up in many places in Belgrade, in order to ‘prove’ his ‘treason’. Well-known Serbian politicians are also among those who criticize the former Serbian top diplomat. Svilanovic in fact was forced to leave the parliamentary group of Boris Tadic’s Democratic Party, while the latter is seen by the West as a leader of genuine democratic forces.
Everything that is happening with Svilanovic only proves what has been known even earlier: the Serbian society is far from reforms; it remains hostage to the political belief that has ruled in Serbia for almost 20 years.
On the other hand, Svilanovic started speaking in public about things that are also known by the Serbian political leadership: Kosovo is de facto independent and there can be no return to pre-1999.
Svilanovic only said aloud what all Serbian politicians say silently in private meetings with Western diplomats and politicians.
One Serbian Lady gave birth to triplet in Pristina’s Maternity Hospital
Thirty-seven Milica Delibashic from Pristina gave birth on Saturday to triplets in the Obstetric and Gynaecological Clinic in Pristina.
According to the clinic’s doctors, this was her first birth and she gave birth to three children (two boys and a girl) after 18 years of sterility. Prof. Dr. Zylfi Azizi who was her doctor during the pregnancy said that the birth was by caesarean section and she did not have any problems during the birth. Three children and their mother are in the intensive care.
This birth at the clinic happened after COMKFOR Lieutenant-General Yves de Kermabon visited the clinic and called for the return of Serbian doctors and patients.
According to the clinic’s doctors, this was her first birth and she gave birth to three children (two boys and a girl) after 18 years of sterility. Prof. Dr. Zylfi Azizi who was her doctor during the pregnancy said that the birth was by caesarean section and she did not have any problems during the birth. Three children and their mother are in the intensive care.
This birth at the clinic happened after COMKFOR Lieutenant-General Yves de Kermabon visited the clinic and called for the return of Serbian doctors and patients.
British envoy sees independence as one option for Kosovo
Pristina, 26 April: British Ambassador to Belgrade David Gowan said in Pristina on Tuesday [26 April] independence was one of the options for Kosovo.
He thus confirmed the position of foreign ministry political directors of Contact Group countries that Kosovo's independence was not ruled out as a possibility for the solution to the province's status.
Gowan said major effort was being invested in determining Kosovo's final status, but added this called for greater commitment on the part of Kosovo politicians.
He was speaking to the press after talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi about current developments in the UN-administered province and its efforts to meet standards. A positive evaluation of the latter will enable the opening of talks on the final status.
Gowan said Britain was still considering the possibility of taking the leading part in the talks on the final status of Kosovo.
Source: HINA news agency, Zagreb, in English 1217 gmt 26 Apr 05
He thus confirmed the position of foreign ministry political directors of Contact Group countries that Kosovo's independence was not ruled out as a possibility for the solution to the province's status.
Gowan said major effort was being invested in determining Kosovo's final status, but added this called for greater commitment on the part of Kosovo politicians.
He was speaking to the press after talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi about current developments in the UN-administered province and its efforts to meet standards. A positive evaluation of the latter will enable the opening of talks on the final status.
Gowan said Britain was still considering the possibility of taking the leading part in the talks on the final status of Kosovo.
Source: HINA news agency, Zagreb, in English 1217 gmt 26 Apr 05
Serbian parties dismiss ICG official's remarks on Kosovo's independence
Text of report by Serbian news agency Beta
Belgrade, 25 April: Representatives of parliamentary parties in the Serbian Assembly today said that the ideas presented by James Lyon, the International Crisis Group's representative in Belgrade, were not the official positions of the relevant international organizations and states.
Dusan Prorokovic, a Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) official and chairman of the parliamentary Committee for Kosovo-Metohija, said that too much attention was being devoted to Lyon's statements.
"Lyon showed earlier how he sees not just the problem of Kosovo, but also the problem of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia, and the International Crisis Group's pronouncements on the problem of the Middle East issue are also doubtful," Prorokovic told reporters in the Serbian parliament.
He termed "interesting" Lyon's explanation that, because of a great deal of frustration among the Albanians, they should be given independence in order to avoid a new rebellion.
"That is incomprehensible, given that there is a great deal of frustration also among the Albanians in Macedonia and western Greece. Frustration is also present in the Basque provinces. Does that mean that they will all get independence?" Prorokovic asked.
Dusan Petrovic, the head of the Democratic Party (DS) parliamentary grouping, said that the official policy on Kosovo of all essential states was very clear and that none had said that they were for independence, neither the United States, nor the United Nations, nor any European state.
"Serbia's policy is also clearly defined. We are entering a period where the issue of Kosovo's status will definitely be raised, and it is necessary to find a solution that will be able to preserve stability in the region," Petrovic told the press.
He said that it was very negative and totally unacceptable for Serbia if Kosovo receives its own army.
"Every item of that issue will be raised and tabled in the coming months. Serbia will of course be a negotiating side," he said, and added that the negotiations would be held within the UN framework.
Petrovic added that "we must all together, as a nation and a state, have a definite firmness and clarity in our position that it is possible to find a solution that will not wreck our state and national interests."
Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) secretary general, said that he had heard no official position on Kosovo, that so far there had been unofficial positions, including Lyon's, and that there would be more of them in the future.
Vucic told reporters that the "job of dismembering Serbia cannot be completed without the signature of official Serbia, which is why they are looking for allies in Serbia", and added that, otherwise, the biggest precedent in the history of the United Nations would be set. He said that no serious politician or party in Serbia would ever accept Kosovo's secession from Serbia and that statements like that [Lyon's] were "lobbying designed to persuade some politicians to renounce their territory."
Miroljub Albijanic, head of the G17 Plus parliamentary grouping, said that Belgrade could not sit "with folded arms, not do anything, wait and comment on the reports of others."
Albijanic recalled that a few months ago the G17 Plus had launched an initiative for an international conference on Kosovo to be held and [said] that Belgrade should show determination in the resolution of important state issues.
Zoran Andjelkovic, a Socialist Party [of Serbia, SPS] official, said that people like Lyon should cease being concerned with state issues and leave the resolution of those issues to state parliaments, international institutions and the international community.
Lyon said during the weekend that it was not a question of whether Kosovo would be independent or not, but only of when that would happen. He added that that was the position of both the United States and the EU, one that was not accepted only by Serbia.
Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1346 gmt 25 Apr 05
Belgrade, 25 April: Representatives of parliamentary parties in the Serbian Assembly today said that the ideas presented by James Lyon, the International Crisis Group's representative in Belgrade, were not the official positions of the relevant international organizations and states.
Dusan Prorokovic, a Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) official and chairman of the parliamentary Committee for Kosovo-Metohija, said that too much attention was being devoted to Lyon's statements.
"Lyon showed earlier how he sees not just the problem of Kosovo, but also the problem of Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia, and the International Crisis Group's pronouncements on the problem of the Middle East issue are also doubtful," Prorokovic told reporters in the Serbian parliament.
He termed "interesting" Lyon's explanation that, because of a great deal of frustration among the Albanians, they should be given independence in order to avoid a new rebellion.
"That is incomprehensible, given that there is a great deal of frustration also among the Albanians in Macedonia and western Greece. Frustration is also present in the Basque provinces. Does that mean that they will all get independence?" Prorokovic asked.
Dusan Petrovic, the head of the Democratic Party (DS) parliamentary grouping, said that the official policy on Kosovo of all essential states was very clear and that none had said that they were for independence, neither the United States, nor the United Nations, nor any European state.
"Serbia's policy is also clearly defined. We are entering a period where the issue of Kosovo's status will definitely be raised, and it is necessary to find a solution that will be able to preserve stability in the region," Petrovic told the press.
He said that it was very negative and totally unacceptable for Serbia if Kosovo receives its own army.
"Every item of that issue will be raised and tabled in the coming months. Serbia will of course be a negotiating side," he said, and added that the negotiations would be held within the UN framework.
Petrovic added that "we must all together, as a nation and a state, have a definite firmness and clarity in our position that it is possible to find a solution that will not wreck our state and national interests."
Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) secretary general, said that he had heard no official position on Kosovo, that so far there had been unofficial positions, including Lyon's, and that there would be more of them in the future.
Vucic told reporters that the "job of dismembering Serbia cannot be completed without the signature of official Serbia, which is why they are looking for allies in Serbia", and added that, otherwise, the biggest precedent in the history of the United Nations would be set. He said that no serious politician or party in Serbia would ever accept Kosovo's secession from Serbia and that statements like that [Lyon's] were "lobbying designed to persuade some politicians to renounce their territory."
Miroljub Albijanic, head of the G17 Plus parliamentary grouping, said that Belgrade could not sit "with folded arms, not do anything, wait and comment on the reports of others."
Albijanic recalled that a few months ago the G17 Plus had launched an initiative for an international conference on Kosovo to be held and [said] that Belgrade should show determination in the resolution of important state issues.
Zoran Andjelkovic, a Socialist Party [of Serbia, SPS] official, said that people like Lyon should cease being concerned with state issues and leave the resolution of those issues to state parliaments, international institutions and the international community.
Lyon said during the weekend that it was not a question of whether Kosovo would be independent or not, but only of when that would happen. He added that that was the position of both the United States and the EU, one that was not accepted only by Serbia.
Source: Beta news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1346 gmt 25 Apr 05
SRSG: We are looking into arranging an intl meeting for Kosovo
Asked about a possible meeting between President Rugova and his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic, SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen was quoted as saying, ‘We are looking into arranging an international meeting for Kosovo where both Presidents could attend and this would be an opportunity for them to meet.’
The UNMIK chief said that the location and date of the meeting are not known yet.
On the same issue, Express reports that President Rugova is under tremendous pressure to meet the Serbian President.
The UNMIK chief said that the location and date of the meeting are not known yet.
On the same issue, Express reports that President Rugova is under tremendous pressure to meet the Serbian President.
Hungary calls for more substantial EU role in Kosovo talks
Hungary has offered Budapest as a venue for international talks on the future status of Kosovo. This has been announced by Hungarian Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogyi at the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg.
He stressed that the EU's role was essential for Kosovo's operation in any form, therefore the EU should make its participation more substantial.
The province, which is currently under UN administration, demands full independence, while the Belgrade leadership considers Kosovo to be part of Serbia, and it says that it can get independence only within Serbia.
He stressed that the EU's role was essential for Kosovo's operation in any form, therefore the EU should make its participation more substantial.
The province, which is currently under UN administration, demands full independence, while the Belgrade leadership considers Kosovo to be part of Serbia, and it says that it can get independence only within Serbia.
Daily Alert - War Crimes Arrests Still Key To EU Bids
The former Yugolslav Army Chief of Staff Nebojsa Pavkovic is the twelfth indicted war crimes suspect to surrender to the Serb authorities this year. Pavkovic, who has been charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia with war crimes in Kosovo, now faces extradition to the Hague. The Serbian government is anxious to step-up its co-operation with the UN as part of efforts to strengthen ties with the EU, with a view to eventual membership. However, despite the flurry of extraditions this year, Belgrade still has much further to go. Serbia is among the last Balkan states to take the first steps of the lengthy accession process. Although the European Commission has recommended that Serbia start negotiations with the bloc on signing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, EU ministers are unlikely to endorse this until Serbia makes further progress in tracking down war crimes suspects still at large.
There are nine remaining Serb and Bosnian Serb suspects to be arrested. These include Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, who are wanted in connection with the Srebrenica Massacre of 1995.
The EU demonstrated the importance it attaches to the issue of extradition in its decision to suspend the start of Croatia's accession talks. This followed allegations from the UN tribunal that the Balkan state was not doing enough to track down indicted war criminal General Ante Gotovina. The government hopes to persuade the EU in its review of Croatia's progress tomorrow that it is doing all it can to track down the general. However, without securing the arrest of Gotovina, the government may struggle to convince both the EU and the court of its full compliance.
There are nine remaining Serb and Bosnian Serb suspects to be arrested. These include Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, who are wanted in connection with the Srebrenica Massacre of 1995.
The EU demonstrated the importance it attaches to the issue of extradition in its decision to suspend the start of Croatia's accession talks. This followed allegations from the UN tribunal that the Balkan state was not doing enough to track down indicted war criminal General Ante Gotovina. The government hopes to persuade the EU in its review of Croatia's progress tomorrow that it is doing all it can to track down the general. However, without securing the arrest of Gotovina, the government may struggle to convince both the EU and the court of its full compliance.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Picture of the Day - Serbian Generals Pavkovic and Lazarevic Both Charged and Incarcerated in the Hague for Crimes Committed in Kosovo
Former army chief-of-staff General Nebojsa Pavkovic, right, is seen with General Vladimir Lazarevic, left, in this March 14 2001 file photo. Pavkovic, one of the most trusted allies of former President Slobodan Milosevic,was to surrender to the U.N. war crimes tribunal Monday, April 25, 2005. Pavkovic, who has been charged in connection with atrocities committed in Kosovo, left for the Netherlands in a government plane accompanied by a Serbian government minister, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity. General Lazarevic surrendered in February and was released by the U.N. tribunal and allowed to return home until the start of his trial. (AP Photo/Srdjan Ilic)
Kosovo pins economic hopes on bomb-hit mine
GLOGOVAC, Serbia and Montenegro, April 26 (Reuters) - Kosovo's Glogovac ferro-nickel plant looks like a bomb hit it.
Twenty-eight bombs, in fact, dropped by NATO during its 1999 air war to expel Serb forces accused of ethnically cleansing the province's Albanian majority.
Severed pipes hang from the punctured roof, glass litters the floor and drums that once collected waste from the smelter now lie up-turned amid the debris like giant church bells.
"Try to make it look good," the mine's ethnic Albanian technical director says to a visiting camera crew.
Kosovo's United Nations authorities say the damage is purely superficial and have put "Ferronikeli" up for sale, seven years after Serbia closed it down and began using it as a military base in its war on Kosovo's separatist rebels.
Appearances aside, U.N. officials say Ferronikeli and mines like it represent the future for the impoverished province.
The plant is one of the largest nickel smelting and mining operations in Europe, with 13 million tonnes of nickel ore in three open-pit mines valued at around 2 billion euros.
Lured by a potential 100 million euros in annual revenue, four international mining companies including South Korea's Samsung Corp are expected to submit bids for it on April 27.
It is the most significant privatisation undertaken by the United Nations since it took control of the Balkan province in 1999. The buyer is obliged to take on 1,000 workers and invest at least 20 million euros over the first 3 years.
FUTURE IN LIGNITE
Kosovo's U.N. overseers hope the sell-off will breathe life into the dormant mining industry, laid low by chronic mismanagement and under-investment in the 1990s.
Kosovo is rich in nickel - used to produce steel - and lignite - a form of coal used to produce power - but its mines badly need investment. The West plans to decide the province's "final status" later this year, and Kosovo is keen to prove it can become a viable independent state.
"For the long-term sustainable future of Kosovo, the major industry will be mining," says Kirk Adams, the British acting director of privatisation at the Kosovo Trust Agency, KTA.
"It will be a major employer and major source of revenue with a huge and dynamic impact on the economy."
After six years of U.N. micro-management, the province of 2 million people is economically stagnant and unemployment hovers between 50 and 60 percent.
The population, 50 percent of which is below the age of 25, is impatient for change and the streets of Glogovac, 20 km (12 miles) from the capital Pristina, are filled with young men peddling smuggled cigarettes.
The picture is the same in Mitrovica in the north, where the once-thriving Trepca mining complex lies in ruins.
The U.N. hopes a resurgent mining industry can go some way to quelling the impatience that has fuelled bouts of violence against minority Serbs, who want to remain part of Serbia.
LEGAL LIMBO
A recent report by the World Bank and Kosovo's Directorate of Mines and Minerals, DMM, valued Kosovo's total mine resources at 13.5 billion euros, including 6.5 billion at the Sibovc lignite mine just outside Pristina.
"Kosovo has 40 percent of Europe's lignite, and it's good quality," said Adams. "The lignite reserves mean this should be a power-exporting area for the rest of the region."
The DMM estimates the mining sector needs 1.8 billion euros of investment to become fully operational, providing 35,000 direct jobs and at least the same again indirectly.
As a U.N. protectorate, Kosovo's suspended status means its privatisation process has been dogged by ownership disputes and liability concerns.
The U.N.-appointed KTA has managed to sell only around 30 of the 500 socially-owned companies - a unique corporate model of the old socialist Yugoslavia - on its books since May 2003.
But the agency insists most of the problems have been ironed out and there are plans to privatise more of Kosovo's mines.
"Mining is important to Kosovo both historically and in the future," says Adams. "We intend to privatise more mines and they will have a significant impact on jobs and investment in Kosovo.
"Ferronikeli is a very important start."
Twenty-eight bombs, in fact, dropped by NATO during its 1999 air war to expel Serb forces accused of ethnically cleansing the province's Albanian majority.
Severed pipes hang from the punctured roof, glass litters the floor and drums that once collected waste from the smelter now lie up-turned amid the debris like giant church bells.
"Try to make it look good," the mine's ethnic Albanian technical director says to a visiting camera crew.
Kosovo's United Nations authorities say the damage is purely superficial and have put "Ferronikeli" up for sale, seven years after Serbia closed it down and began using it as a military base in its war on Kosovo's separatist rebels.
Appearances aside, U.N. officials say Ferronikeli and mines like it represent the future for the impoverished province.
The plant is one of the largest nickel smelting and mining operations in Europe, with 13 million tonnes of nickel ore in three open-pit mines valued at around 2 billion euros.
Lured by a potential 100 million euros in annual revenue, four international mining companies including South Korea's Samsung Corp are expected to submit bids for it on April 27.
It is the most significant privatisation undertaken by the United Nations since it took control of the Balkan province in 1999. The buyer is obliged to take on 1,000 workers and invest at least 20 million euros over the first 3 years.
FUTURE IN LIGNITE
Kosovo's U.N. overseers hope the sell-off will breathe life into the dormant mining industry, laid low by chronic mismanagement and under-investment in the 1990s.
Kosovo is rich in nickel - used to produce steel - and lignite - a form of coal used to produce power - but its mines badly need investment. The West plans to decide the province's "final status" later this year, and Kosovo is keen to prove it can become a viable independent state.
"For the long-term sustainable future of Kosovo, the major industry will be mining," says Kirk Adams, the British acting director of privatisation at the Kosovo Trust Agency, KTA.
"It will be a major employer and major source of revenue with a huge and dynamic impact on the economy."
After six years of U.N. micro-management, the province of 2 million people is economically stagnant and unemployment hovers between 50 and 60 percent.
The population, 50 percent of which is below the age of 25, is impatient for change and the streets of Glogovac, 20 km (12 miles) from the capital Pristina, are filled with young men peddling smuggled cigarettes.
The picture is the same in Mitrovica in the north, where the once-thriving Trepca mining complex lies in ruins.
The U.N. hopes a resurgent mining industry can go some way to quelling the impatience that has fuelled bouts of violence against minority Serbs, who want to remain part of Serbia.
LEGAL LIMBO
A recent report by the World Bank and Kosovo's Directorate of Mines and Minerals, DMM, valued Kosovo's total mine resources at 13.5 billion euros, including 6.5 billion at the Sibovc lignite mine just outside Pristina.
"Kosovo has 40 percent of Europe's lignite, and it's good quality," said Adams. "The lignite reserves mean this should be a power-exporting area for the rest of the region."
The DMM estimates the mining sector needs 1.8 billion euros of investment to become fully operational, providing 35,000 direct jobs and at least the same again indirectly.
As a U.N. protectorate, Kosovo's suspended status means its privatisation process has been dogged by ownership disputes and liability concerns.
The U.N.-appointed KTA has managed to sell only around 30 of the 500 socially-owned companies - a unique corporate model of the old socialist Yugoslavia - on its books since May 2003.
But the agency insists most of the problems have been ironed out and there are plans to privatise more of Kosovo's mines.
"Mining is important to Kosovo both historically and in the future," says Adams. "We intend to privatise more mines and they will have a significant impact on jobs and investment in Kosovo.
"Ferronikeli is a very important start."
Former Serb general transferred to UN tribunal detention unit
Former Yugoslav army chief Nebojsa Pavkovic was transferred on Monday to the detention unit of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ( CITY), the UN tribunal announced on Monday.
In a press release emailed to Xinhua by the CITY, Pavkovic, Commander of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (VJ) 3rd Army in 1990s, was accused of war crimes during the 1998-1999 conflict in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo.
An indictment issued by the tribunal said Pavkovic, 59, was facing four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war.
Pavkovic is the 15th Serb indictee to surrender to the tribunal since November.
Nine other publicly indicted Serbs remain at large, including the two most wanted fugitives -- Bosnian Serb war time political leader Radovan Karadzic and military chief Ratko Mladic -- who are accused of genocide.
In a press release emailed to Xinhua by the CITY, Pavkovic, Commander of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (VJ) 3rd Army in 1990s, was accused of war crimes during the 1998-1999 conflict in the southern Serbian province of Kosovo.
An indictment issued by the tribunal said Pavkovic, 59, was facing four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war.
Pavkovic is the 15th Serb indictee to surrender to the tribunal since November.
Nine other publicly indicted Serbs remain at large, including the two most wanted fugitives -- Bosnian Serb war time political leader Radovan Karadzic and military chief Ratko Mladic -- who are accused of genocide.
Who will control the police? (Lajm)
Lajm newspaper reports on page two that the Kosovo Ministry of Interior Affairs will be formed in September; however, it will not have full supervisory authority over the Kosovo Police Service.
The paper says that because the competences have been separated, responsibility for the police will fall along three lines: by the SRSG through the head of UNMIK Pillar I, the UNMIK Police Commissioner and the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
According to Lajm, AAK deputy leader Naim Maloku is mentioned as a candidate for the new ministry. Maloku however said: ‘I have no indications of being appointed Interior Minister. This is speculation’.
The paper added that even after the creation of the Interior Ministry, the Kosovo Police Service will remain under the authority and responsibility of the SRSG and UNMIK Pillar I and less under the Interior Ministry.
‘I think that after the resolution of status, the Ministry should be monitored by UNMIK or the SRSG, because we will have many problems with the rule of law. The Ministry of Order should bring together the government, the opposition and the minorities, in order to avoid a ministry affiliated to political parties,’ Maloku was quoted as saying.
The paper says that because the competences have been separated, responsibility for the police will fall along three lines: by the SRSG through the head of UNMIK Pillar I, the UNMIK Police Commissioner and the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
According to Lajm, AAK deputy leader Naim Maloku is mentioned as a candidate for the new ministry. Maloku however said: ‘I have no indications of being appointed Interior Minister. This is speculation’.
The paper added that even after the creation of the Interior Ministry, the Kosovo Police Service will remain under the authority and responsibility of the SRSG and UNMIK Pillar I and less under the Interior Ministry.
‘I think that after the resolution of status, the Ministry should be monitored by UNMIK or the SRSG, because we will have many problems with the rule of law. The Ministry of Order should bring together the government, the opposition and the minorities, in order to avoid a ministry affiliated to political parties,’ Maloku was quoted as saying.
Kosovo: Poisoned camps for the Gypsies - IHT
Paul Polansky International Herald Tribune
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005
In its rush to proclaim its assignment a success, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo is ignoring - or covering up - a medical tragedy there for which it is directly responsible.
At three camps built by the UN High Commission for Refugees, some 60 Gypsy children under the age of 6 have been exposed to such high levels of lead that they are highly likely either to die soon or to suffer irreversible brain damage.
This number represents every child born in the camps since they were built five and a half years ago - children whose undeveloped immune systems make them particularly vulnerable.
Rokho Kim, an expert on lead poisoning and a medical doctor for the World Health Organization's European Center for the Environment and Health in Bonn, who visited the camps in February, said he had never heard of such high lead levels in children's blood.
He said that toxicity levels around the camps were three to four times higher than those at Tar Creek, Oklahoma, America's most dangerous hazardous waste site.
The camps, in Zitkovac, Cesmin Lug and Kablare in northern Kosovo, were built starting in November 1999 to house some 500 displaced persons from Kosovo's largest Gypsy neighborhood, destroyed in June of that year by extremist ethnic Albanians after NATO troops took over the city of South Mitrovica.
Today, many children in these squalid camps show obvious symptoms of lead poisoning: loss of memory, loss of coordination, vomiting and convulsions.
Over the past five years, 27 people have died in the camps, many of them very likely from the effects of heavy-metal poisoning, though autopsies are never performed. Two of the dead have been children, and more are expected to die in the next few months.
It didn't have to be this way.
In November 1999, as a representative of the Society for Threatened Peoples, I warned the head of mission of the High Commission for Refugees in Pristina that the location for the camps appeared to be on toxic waste lands, in the shadow of slag heaps from the extensive Trepca mines.
But the commission went ahead with construction, claiming they would be used for only 45 days.
Random blood testing carried out in August and September 2000 by Dr. Andrei Andreyev, a Russian consultant to the United Nations, confirmed dangerous levels of lead poisoning.
He submitted a report to the World Health Organization and to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, which is known as Unmik, recommending immediate evacuation of the camps.
His report, which is now unavailable to the public, was never acted upon, with one exception: Several international Unmik police officers were tested, since they jogged daily on a path by the slag heaps near the Cesmin Lug camp. Their lead levels were so high, Unmik immediately repatriated them.
But until WHO conducted more blood tests at the camps last July, there was no reaction at all by Unmik health officials to the dangerously high lead levels for the Gypsies.
Capillary tests on 75 people from the camps, mostly children and pregnant women, showed that 44 had blood levels higher than 65 micrograms per decileter, the highest level that the equipment available could measure.
Levels over 10 micrograms are considered the point at which there is a risk of brain or nervous system damage; fewer than 10 people tested under 40 micrograms, the level requiring medical intervention; 70 is considered an immediate medical emergency.
Subsequent tests have corroborated the implications of this data. I took nine children to the hospital to be tested. Seven had lead levels higher than the machine could read. Two were immediately hospitalized without a test, and medical personnel said they didn't think one of the two could be saved.
WHO's 2004 report recommended immediate action, but Unmik's response was to begin holding weekly meetings on the issue. At a meeting last Nov. 16, it was even "accepted that the present lead emergency situation needs immediate action primarily in the form of relocating the IDPs from the camps. ..."
But despite calls by humanitarian groups and health experts and a written demand by the International Committee of the Red Cross for the camps to be immediately evacuated, the only action taken by Unmik has been to hold more meetings, still without a decision.
Last July, Jenita Mehmeti, a 4-year-old girl, died in the Zitkovac camp after being treated for two months in a Serbian hospital for lead poisoning.
She won't be the last. With independence for Kosovo clearly on the UN agenda for this year or next, it appears that Unmik wants only to get out without having to make a decision, or take responsibility for its appalling negligence.
(Paul Polansky is head of mission in Kosovo for the Society for Threatened Peoples and for the Kosovo Roma Refugee Foundation.)
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005
In its rush to proclaim its assignment a success, the United Nations Mission in Kosovo is ignoring - or covering up - a medical tragedy there for which it is directly responsible.
At three camps built by the UN High Commission for Refugees, some 60 Gypsy children under the age of 6 have been exposed to such high levels of lead that they are highly likely either to die soon or to suffer irreversible brain damage.
This number represents every child born in the camps since they were built five and a half years ago - children whose undeveloped immune systems make them particularly vulnerable.
Rokho Kim, an expert on lead poisoning and a medical doctor for the World Health Organization's European Center for the Environment and Health in Bonn, who visited the camps in February, said he had never heard of such high lead levels in children's blood.
He said that toxicity levels around the camps were three to four times higher than those at Tar Creek, Oklahoma, America's most dangerous hazardous waste site.
The camps, in Zitkovac, Cesmin Lug and Kablare in northern Kosovo, were built starting in November 1999 to house some 500 displaced persons from Kosovo's largest Gypsy neighborhood, destroyed in June of that year by extremist ethnic Albanians after NATO troops took over the city of South Mitrovica.
Today, many children in these squalid camps show obvious symptoms of lead poisoning: loss of memory, loss of coordination, vomiting and convulsions.
Over the past five years, 27 people have died in the camps, many of them very likely from the effects of heavy-metal poisoning, though autopsies are never performed. Two of the dead have been children, and more are expected to die in the next few months.
It didn't have to be this way.
In November 1999, as a representative of the Society for Threatened Peoples, I warned the head of mission of the High Commission for Refugees in Pristina that the location for the camps appeared to be on toxic waste lands, in the shadow of slag heaps from the extensive Trepca mines.
But the commission went ahead with construction, claiming they would be used for only 45 days.
Random blood testing carried out in August and September 2000 by Dr. Andrei Andreyev, a Russian consultant to the United Nations, confirmed dangerous levels of lead poisoning.
He submitted a report to the World Health Organization and to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, which is known as Unmik, recommending immediate evacuation of the camps.
His report, which is now unavailable to the public, was never acted upon, with one exception: Several international Unmik police officers were tested, since they jogged daily on a path by the slag heaps near the Cesmin Lug camp. Their lead levels were so high, Unmik immediately repatriated them.
But until WHO conducted more blood tests at the camps last July, there was no reaction at all by Unmik health officials to the dangerously high lead levels for the Gypsies.
Capillary tests on 75 people from the camps, mostly children and pregnant women, showed that 44 had blood levels higher than 65 micrograms per decileter, the highest level that the equipment available could measure.
Levels over 10 micrograms are considered the point at which there is a risk of brain or nervous system damage; fewer than 10 people tested under 40 micrograms, the level requiring medical intervention; 70 is considered an immediate medical emergency.
Subsequent tests have corroborated the implications of this data. I took nine children to the hospital to be tested. Seven had lead levels higher than the machine could read. Two were immediately hospitalized without a test, and medical personnel said they didn't think one of the two could be saved.
WHO's 2004 report recommended immediate action, but Unmik's response was to begin holding weekly meetings on the issue. At a meeting last Nov. 16, it was even "accepted that the present lead emergency situation needs immediate action primarily in the form of relocating the IDPs from the camps. ..."
But despite calls by humanitarian groups and health experts and a written demand by the International Committee of the Red Cross for the camps to be immediately evacuated, the only action taken by Unmik has been to hold more meetings, still without a decision.
Last July, Jenita Mehmeti, a 4-year-old girl, died in the Zitkovac camp after being treated for two months in a Serbian hospital for lead poisoning.
She won't be the last. With independence for Kosovo clearly on the UN agenda for this year or next, it appears that Unmik wants only to get out without having to make a decision, or take responsibility for its appalling negligence.
(Paul Polansky is head of mission in Kosovo for the Society for Threatened Peoples and for the Kosovo Roma Refugee Foundation.)
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