Security Council members
condemn ambush in FRY of Macedonia
30 APRIL – Members of the Security Council today condemned
the recent "cowardly and brutal" attack which took the
lives of several soldiers from the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia.
In a statement to the press issued by Council President Jeremy
Greenstock of the United Kingdom, the 15-member body denounced
Saturday's ambush at Vejce, near Tetovo, which left eight dead
and six injured. "There is no place for all those who use
violence, espouse extremism, resort to terrorism, create tension,
defy international legality and try to oppose democratization
and reconciliation," the statement said.
Council members also commended the Skopje Government
for its restraint in the face of recent provocations, as well
as its efforts to strengthen multiethnic democracy, foster harmony
and encourage the country's leaders and citizens to pursue the
path of peace.
Saturday's attack was also condemned by the
head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
Hans Haekkerup. "These attacks by armed extremists are unacceptable,
outrageous and must be brought to an end," he said in a statement
released in Pristina on Sunday.
Mr. Haekkerup stressed that in Kosovo, the responsible
players -- including political, community and religious leaders
-- fully supported the Government and citizens of the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia. "People there want to live in peace
for a better future," he said.
The UNMIK chief also extended his deepest sympathies
to the families of "these victims of terrorist violence."
Meanwhile, UNMIK police are continuing their
effort to stamp out the organized trafficking of women for prostitution,
according to a spokesman for the mission. During a recent raid
on the Diamond Bar, 14 young women who had been taken from neighbouring
countries were recovered. "All had been held for the purpose
of prostitution," UNMIK Police Spokesman Dean Olson told
the press today.
A Kosovar Albanian male has been arrested and
faces charges of controlling the women for purposes of prostitution,
while UNMIK is helping four of the women return to their home
countries.
Prosecutor of UN tribunal queries Belgrade
on warrant for Milosevic
25 APRIL – The Prosecutor of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today signed a letter to the
Belgrade authorities, inquiring whether they had served former
President Slobodan Milosevic with the arrest warrant and indictment
against him.
According to an advisor to Prosecutor Carla del Ponte, the letter
was addressed to Momcilo Grubac, the Minister of Justice of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Mr. Grubac had given his commitment
to serve the arrest warrant against Mr. Milosevic when the Justice
Minister met with Tribunal Registrar Hans Holthuis earlier this
month.
The indictment against Mr. Milosevic charges
him and four others with crimes against humanity and violations
of the laws or customs of war during a "systematic attack
directed against the Kosovo Albanian civilian population of Kosovo
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)."
Among other criminal acts committed under Mr.
Milosevic's leadership, the forces of the FRY and Serbia "forcibly
expelled and internally displaced hundreds of thousands of Kosovo
Albanians from their homes across the entire province of Kosovo"
by using threats and violence to create an atmosphere of fear
and oppression, according to the indictment.
UN official welcomes Kosovar
Albanians freed from Serbian jails
25 APRIL – After nearly two years serving time in Serbian
jails, over 100 Kosovar Albanians arrived in Kosovo today, where
they were welcomed by the top United Nations official in the area,
who called for the return of all others still in detention.
The head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
Hans Haekkerup, welcomed the 143 former prisoners as they arrived
in Merdare on a fleet of three crowded buses with the help of
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Mr. Haekkerup
told the freed detainees that as a father and husband, he shared
with their families the wealth of joy and emotions in meeting
them.
The former prisoners were collectively known
as the "Gjakovë Group" for the city where they
were arrested in May 1999 on suspicion of terrorism and sentenced
to jail terms varying between 7 and 13 years. On Monday, Serbia's
Supreme Court threw out the convictions against the prisoners
and ordered their immediate release.
In an address today to the Kosovo Transitional
Council, Mr. Haekkerup stressed that all Kosovars serving in Serbian
jails should be returned to Kosovo, including those who did not
fall within the scope of the amnesty law adopted by the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY).
The Special Representative stressed that where
necessary, the detainees should have their cases processed through
a judicial review in Kosovo conducted under UNMIK's supervision,
with due respect for international human rights standards.
Mr. Haekkerup also emphasized the need for further
efforts to secure the return of those still being held. "We
should continue our dialogue with the FRY authorities on other
detainees as well as the missing," he said.
Top UN official in Kosovo deplores killing
of municipality president
24 APRIL – The top United Nations official in Kosovo today
expressed shock at learning of the murder of Ismet Raci, President
of the Klina Municipality and a member of the Democratic League
of Kosovo (LDK).
"I am outraged about the killing," said Hans Haekkerup,
head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Expressing concern about the security situation, Mr. Haekkerup
said he was awaiting a full report of the investigation into the
incident to determine whether the murder was politically motivated
or perpetrated for some other reason. Mr. Raci was killed in his
apartment building in the centre of Klina.
In another development, the Kosovo Interim Administrative
Council (IAC) today discussed last-minute attachments to the final
draft of the document outlining provisional self-government for
the province, UNMIK reported.
The attachments contained proposals submitted
by the Serb member of the Joint Working Group on Provisional Self-Government
Institutions, in addition to proposals by the Turkish community
and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) -- the third largest
Kosovo Albanian party at last October's elections. The Joint Working
Group completed the final draft on 19 April after seven weeks'
work.
UNMIK said the document would be submitted to
the Kosovo Transitional Council on 25 April for an open-ended
review. The Council is the only body representing Kosovo society
at large, and extends beyond the political forces represented
by the three Albanian and one Serb representatives who are members
of the IAC.
Mr. Haekkerup said he would hold a final round
of consultations with IAC members and legal experts in order to
"eliminate and compromise" any disagreement before making
a final decision on the document.
Meanwhile, Mr. Haekkerup stated his satisfaction
at the release of Kosovo Albanian detainees in Serbia -- the so-called
"Diakova Group" -- and expressed the hope that other
prisoners held in Serbia would soon be returned to Kosovo.
Kosovars urged to cooperate
with UN in stemming violence
23 APRIL – The new commander of the international security
force in Kosovo (KFOR) today urged Kosovars to help KFOR and the
United Nations isolate extremists pursuing political ends through
violence.
"I am convinced that the majority of the population of Kosovo
rejects these attacks," General Thorstein Skiaker of Norway
told a press conference in Pristina. He added that most Kosovars
wished "nothing more than live in peace and security with
some hope of prosperity."
General Skiaker pledged determined action against
the extremists, regardless of their ethnic background or political
aims. "I know that KFOR and UNMIK [the UN Interim Administration
in Kosovo], working together, will make progress in the fight
against violence."
Meanwhile, Kosovo Serbs continued to protest
tax collection points in Mitrovica, according to an UNMIK spokesman,
who stressed that such points had been set up to collect excise
and sales taxes -- not customs duties.
In an effort to clarify the matter, UNMIK chief
Hans Haekkerup met today with the representative of the Yugoslav
Government Committee on Kosovo to explain at length the difference
between the taxes being collected by the UN and customs taxes.
In another development, the UNMIK police announced
the arrest of a suspect in connection with a car bomb explosion
in Pristina on 19 April. The police confirmed that the suspect
was carrying a German passport, but released no further details.
The UN is continuing its investigation of the explosion.
UN mission in Kosovo disappointed
by media attacks on legal framework panel
20 APRIL – The United Nations mission in Kosovo today expressed
disappointment at attacks in the press on members of the committee
defining structures of provisional self-government.
The Joint Working Group on the Legal Framework for provisional
self-government is "close to the finish line, although some
issues remain to be resolved," said the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in a statement issued today. It added
that all of the members "have demonstrated great expertise
and tremendous commitment" to Kosovo's future.
"There will be varying opinions about the
legal framework once it is completed," UNMIK said, "but
it will clearly serve as the basis for real, meaningful self-government
in all the essential areas of life, while maintaining international
support for Kosovo."
Stressing that the legal framework is essential
to this year's elections, UNMIK said any delay might affect preparations
for elections, hurting all people in Kosovo. The Mission urged
all those involved to stay engaged until the end and support completion
of the process "in a constructive spirit."
Kosovo: Security Council
members condemn bomb attack in Pristina
19 APRIL – Security Council members today condemned the
"cowardly terrorist attack" carried out in Pristina
yesterday, and insisted that the perpetrators be "brought
quickly to justice."
In a press statement, the body's current president, Ambassador
Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom, said Council members
regarded this as "another deliberately planned and clearly
ethnically motivated attack on Serbs in Kosovo."
Council members called on Kosovo leaders "to
condemn such a senseless act and to do all they could to stop
similar incidents." Stating that "extremists violence
had to become a thing of the past," they called on all parties
to resume the path of dialogue.
In Pristina, Hans Haekkerup, head of the UN
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said the attack
was "apparently caused by dissidents bent on disrupting UNMIK's
efforts to bring peace and security to all people in Kosovo."
He urged all communities not to "allow the work of a few
to disrupt the ongoing process to bring self-government to Kosovo."
UNMIK Police spokesman Derek Chappell said an
"improvised explosive device" involving some 10 kilogrammes
of explosive had targeted two vehicles leaving the Serb-administered
Centre for Peace and Tolerance (CPT). One vehicle, containing
five Serb occupants from the CPT, had sustained the direct force
of the blast, with one passenger killed and another severely injured,
the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the international security force
(KFOR) launched an operation at dawn today to clear three roadblocks
in Mitrovica set up to protest tax collection centres established
by UNMIK. A KFOR spokesman said the "successful" operation
was mounted to re-establish freedom of movement for all people
of Kosovo.
In another development, the committee finalizing
the legal framework for Kosovo's provisional self-government had
produced a draft of the document, its chairman reported today.
Alexander Borg-Olivier said the draft, reflecting the work of
the Joint Working Group on the Legal Framework as of 17 April,
had been forwarded to Mr. Haekkerup for review.
The draft would be made available to the media
and the Kosovo Transitional Council in the next few days "with
a view to promoting wider discussion," he said.
UN Kosovo mission condemns car bomb attack
in Pristina
18 APRIL – A car bomb explosion in the centre of Pristina
today killed one person and injured four others, the United Nations
mission in Kosovo reported.
"This is an outrage," said Mr. Hans Haekkerup, head
of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). "I
am deeply saddened by the continued violence in Kosovo, despite
our best efforts to bring peace and security to all people."
Mr. Haekkerup said he was awaiting a full report
of the investigation into the incident, which occurred near the
premises occupied by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Committee
for Cooperation with UNMIK. One of the injured was in critical
conditions, UNMIK said.
Referendum lacks international
support, says top UN official in Kosovo
18 APRIL – The head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo,
Hans Haekkerup, today told the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC)
that the idea of referendum did not have the support of the international
community and went beyond the provisional period of self-government.
Briefing the Council about the Joint Working Group -- the committee
finalizing the legal framework for Kosovo's provisional self-government
-- Mr. Haekkerup said the referendum issue had come up at the
meeting of the Contact Group last week in Paris, but the participants
opposed it. It was also discussed during his visit to Tirana,
and the Albanian Government did not support it.
The head of the UN Interim Administration mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) said, "we need an inclusive process that
takes into account the legitimate interests of all communities."
He noted that Security Council resolution 1244 did not mention
a referendum, adding that while the Rambouillet accord spoke of
the will of the people, it did not say how this is to be expressed.
Mr. Haekkerup clarified that the Legal Framework
was a document on provisional institution of self-government,
which should not prejudice Kosovo's final status. "The issue
of final status has to be negotiated by the future elected leaders
of Kosovo with the international community," he said.
Briefing the KTC about his visit to the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, Mr. Haekkerup said that even tough Belgrade
"didn't say it in so many words," all discussions pointed
to the fact that it favoured elections in Kosovo.
Kosovo: Serbs stage protests
at UN tax collection centres
17 APRIL – Responding to a series of demonstrations held
by Kosovo Serbs to protest the setting up of tax collection centres
in northern Kosovo, the United Nations mission in the province
said today that the establishment of these points was "nothing
new" and that all Kosovars would gain from the collected
revenues.
Noting that for the past two days the protesters had been blocking
roads around Leposevac and Zubin Potok, Michael Keats, a spokesman
for the UN Transitional Administration (UNMIK), said the regulation
enabling the collection points dated from 1999. The first tax
centre had been set up in February 2000, he said, pointing out
that the excise and sales taxes being levied were internal taxes
that would benefit all residents of Kosovo.
The demonstrations had been peaceful, Mr. Keats
reported, adding that one protest held in northern Mitrovica had
dispersed without incident earlier in the day.
Comprehensive efforts were under way to ensure
that the facts were understood by the local population, Mr. Keats
said. He added that UNMIK "expects those who wish to raise
questions about the tax collection centres to do so in proper
channels, not by committing illegal acts or blocking access."
Meanwhile, UNMIK head Hans Haekkerup said in
Pristina today that the working group drafting a legal framework
for Kosovo's self-government had reached agreement on 99 per cent
of the document. He noted, however, that the last 1 per cent would
involve "very tough negotiations." Pending issues included
the official name of the document, the Presidency, the constitutional
court and the right to hold a referendum. Participation in the
deliberations by Kosovo Serbs had been "politically very
useful," he added.
In another development, the international security
presence in Kosovo (KFOR) announced this morning that five Serb
men recently released by "ethnic Albanian extremists"
in the Presevo Valley were turned over to Serb authorities near
the village of Mejdia this morning.
Security Council members condemn killing
of Russian soldier in Kosovo
12 APRIL – Members of the Security Council today deplored
the recent killing of a Russian soldier serving in Kosovo and
called for action to bring those responsible to justice.
The current President of the Council, Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock
of the United Kingdom, said in a press statement that Council
members condemned the "tragic" shooting, which had taken
place yesterday. He added that the Council members, who had extended
their condolences to the Russian delegation during consultations
this morning, were "very interested in an investigative follow-up
and in action being taken against the perpetrators."
According to the international force in Kosovo
(KFOR), the Russian soldier came under small-arms fire from unknown
attackers while conducting a demarcation operation along the Kosovo-Serbia
boundary, north-west of the Kosovo village of Zuja.
The killing was also condemned by the head of
the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK),
Hans Haekkerup.
In another development, UNMIK announced today
that Kosovo's citizens would be able to surrender their weapons
without fear of prosecution during an amnesty period from 1 May
to 3 June.
"We want to see rifles, automatic guns,
assault rifles, grenades, mines, bombs, rocket launchers -- all
the paraphernalia of war -- off the streets, out of the houses,
out of the barns, out of the haystack, out of the concealment
in the forest and all the rest of it," said UNMIK Police
Commissioner Christopher Albiston.
Promising that the amnesty was a "good
faith offer," he stressed that those who turned in weapons
would "not be asked for names and addresses, they will not
be asked details about the weapons, they will not be subjected
to some kind of intelligence operation or forensic analysis or
anything else which is designed to place them in an awkward position."
Persons found with unauthorized weapons after the deadline could
face prison sentences of up to 10 years. According to UNMIK, the
amnesty programme is part of a larger anti-crime effort aimed
at taking out of circulation the huge quantity of weaponry which
remains in Kosovo nearly two years after the conflict.
UN tribunal reiterates
call for immediate transfer of Milosevic to The Hague
11 APRIL – The International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia today repeated its call for the immediate transfer
of Slobodan Milosevic to the court's facilities at The Hague.
Speaking to reporters at The Hague, the Advisor to the Prosecutor,
Jean-Jacques Joris, said the transfer of the former Yugoslav President
was required under international law, which should prevail over
political statements.
The indictment against Mr. Milosevic charges
him and four others with crimes against humanity and violations
of the laws or customs of war during a "systematic attack
directed against the Kosovo Albanian civilian population of Kosovo
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."
Meanwhile, Tribunal spokesman Jim Landale told
the press briefing that an extraordinary plenary session of the
Tribunal judges would be held tomorrow to discuss modifications
to the court's rules of procedure and evidence in light of a recent
Security Council decision on the use of temporary or ad litem
judges to ease the court's workload.
On 30 November, the Council established a new
pool of 27 judges who will serve the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia on an ad litem basis, meaning that they
will be appointed to specific trials as and when needed.
Kosovo: Serb representative
rejoins panel drafting legal framework for self-government
11 APRIL – A Kosovo Serb representative has rejoined the
committee finalizing the legal framework for the province's provisional
self-government, the United Nations mission in Kosovo reported
today.
Alexandar Simic, representative of the Kosovo Serbs, had joined
discussion and had been "officially accepted by all members"
of the Joint Working Group on the Legal Framework for Provisional
Self-Government, said the panel's Chairman, Johan Van Lamoen.
On 5 April, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica
had agreed to urge the Kosovo Serbs to participate in the process
in his meeting with Hans Haekkerup, head of the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
Mr. Van Lamoen said that "90 per cent or
more" of the first draft, to be presented on 13 April to
Mr. Haekkerup, was a consensus document. Outstanding issues included
the institution of President, the constitutional court and the
possibility of holding "popular consultations." A request
cutting across ethnic lines was to call the document an "interim
constitution."
No apparent hostile action
in crash of British KFOR helicopter, UN says
10 APRIL – A helicopter crash in Kosovo which took the lives
of two British officers does not appear to have been caused by
any deliberate aggression, a United Nations spokesman announced
today.
"At this stage, KFOR says, the cause of the crash is unknown
but there are no indications that it was caused by hostile action
from any group," said Fred Eckhard, referring to information
received from the international security force in the province.
He noted that at the time of yesterday's crash, the weather was
"poor with low clouds and heavy rain."
According to KFOR, the pilot and navigator were
killed and five others injured in the incident, which took place
near the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
The aircraft was conducting operations "in support of efforts
to secure the border and eradicate the extremist activity that
has threatened to destabilize the region," Mr. Eckhard said.
In other news, the chairman of the working group
elaborating a legal framework for Kosovo's provisional self-government
said today the effort was progressing on schedule.
Johan Van Lamoen told the Kosovo Interim Administrative
Council that although a draft document was expected to be ready
on Friday, the working group might hold extraordinary meetings
next week to clarify outstanding issues, including a request by
the Kosovo Albanians to name the document the "interim constitution."
Mr. Van Lamoen also expressed regret that the Kosovo Serbs had
participated in only one of the group's meetings, but welcomed
their announced return for the final sessions. He cautioned, however,
that it would be difficult to "go back to page one and start
all over again."
FYR of Macedonia: President
calls for greater control of border with Kosovo
10 APRIL – The President of the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia this morning urged the international security force
in Kosovo (KFOR) and the United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
to exercise more control over the northern border area to prevent
trespassing into his country's territory.
Addressing the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, President
Boris Trajkovski said the crisis currently threatening his country
was a "direct export from Kosovo." He called for an
"urgent and systematic" disarmament of the population
in Kosovo and immediate punishment of terrorists and "armed
extremists," including the political leaders who supported
and encouraged them. He also called for support of bodies that
supported tolerance and democratic values.
The goal of the rebels operating on the border
with Kosovo was to destroy "the model of multicultural democracy"
that existed in his country, the President said. He charged that
the rebels were "governed by racist ideology" and by
interest in "trafficking in drugs and women."
President Trajkovski also expressed the determination
of his country to maintain and strengthen its stability, while
intensifying the process of dialogue in order to enhance interethnic
relations.
UN Kosovo mission making
progress on key priorities, Security Council told
9 APRIL – The United Nations Mission in Kosovo has continued
to move forward with its key priorities, despite the adverse effects
of conflicts in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and
in southern Serbia, a top UN official told the Security Council
this morning.
Briefing the Council following his visit last week to Kosovo,
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean Marie
Guéhenno said "progress on the legal framework should
allow the holding of Kosovo-wide elections this year." He
also said that serious measures to tackle law and order were beginning
to bear fruit, and that increased cooperation and dialogue with
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) authorities would pave
the way for progress in the key areas of security and return that
had so far blocked Kosovo Serb participation in integrated structures.
Mr. Guehenno noted that the Secretary-General's
Special Representative for Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, met Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica for the second time last Thursday,
and that they agreed to identify areas where Kosovo Serb returns
can be realistically accomplished. President Kostunica also assured
Mr. Haekkerup that outstanding cases of political prisoners detained
in Serbia proper would soon be resolved.
Regarding economic reconstruction in Kosovo,
the Under-Secretary-General said the province's public finances
needed to be developed. Tax collection points were being established
along the boundary line with the FRY and would contribute key
funding to the Kosovo consolidated budget at a vital time in the
run-up to provisional self-government.
During the discussion that followed the briefing,
Council members stressed the importance of holding free and fair
elections in the province. Many of the delegates also underscored
the need to effectively address violence in Kosovo and ensure
the participation of all communities, including minorities, in
the elaboration of the legal framework for the province.
In a related development, the chairman of the
working group on the legal framework for Kosovo announced today
that he hoped to be able to present a final text of the document
on Friday. Johan Van Lamoen said the group was currently discussing
the province's assembly -- "a very important body amidst
the provisional institutions of self-government" -- and that
it hoped to take up the executive authority of the government
in the afternoon.
Aid worker in Kosovo killed
in cluster bomb incident, UN mine centre reports
9 APRIL – One aide worker was killed, another injured, in
an incident involving a cluster bomb unit in Kosovo, the UN Mine
Action Coordination Center in the province has reported.
The two Halo Trust staff members were working in Grebnik in western
Kosovo when the incident occurred on Friday. The injured worker
remains in hospital today. Halo Trust says that the problem of
contamination resulting from NATO cluster bomb strikes remains
a major problem in the area.
Meanwhile, it was announced today that the international
prosecutor in Mitrovica has abandoned the genocide charges against
Igor Simic, a Kosovo Serb man accused of helping to murder 26
ethnic Albanians in April 1999. A UN spokesman said Simic had
been held in prison since August 1999.
In another development today, the international
security force in Kosovo (KFOR) announced that one of its helicopters
went down five kilometers west of Kacanik in southern Kosovo near
the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Seven
KFOR personnel were aboard the British helicopter. No details
on casualties were available, a UN spokesman said early this afternoon.
Talks between UN's top Kosovo official and
Belgrade lauded by European Union
6 APRIL – The European Union (EU) today welcomed recent
talks between the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK) and Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, calling
their discussions "an important step forward in the development
of a constructive relationship" between UNMIK and Belgrade.
"The EU warmly welcomes the support expressed by President
Kostunica for UNMIK's efforts to establish a legal framework for
Kosovo and his confirmation of Kosovo Serb participation in this
process," according to a statement issued in Brussels.
The hour-long discussions yesterday between
President Kostunica and UNMIK chief Hans Haekkerup were termed
constructive by both men.
According to UNMIK, President Kostunica agreed
to urge the Kosovo Serbs to participate in finalizing the legal
framework for provisional self-government for Kosovo, and to take
part in elections to be held later this year.
Mr. Haekkerup said he had agreed to use his
best efforts to determine the fate of 3,000 missing persons in
Kosovo, 1,300 of whom were Serbs.
On the question of the divided city of Mitrovica,
it was agreed that UNMIK would work with the Yugoslav Committee
for Cooperation to ensure improved security for the area's Serbs.
Yugoslav minister pledges to serve UN tribunal
arrest warrant on Milosevic
6 APRIL – The Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has received official assurances
from Yugoslav authorities that the court's arrest warrant against
Slobodan Milosevic will be served on the accused.
Registrar Hans Holthuis, who today wrapped up a two-day trip to
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, handed over the Milosevic
arrest warrant to the country's Minister of Justice, Momcilo Grubac.
"Minister Grubac accepted it and gave his commitment to have
it, together with the ICTY indictment, served expeditiously on
Slobodan Milosevic," according to a statement released today
by the Tribunal.
In his meetings with Mr. Grubac, as well as
during separate contacts with the Minister of Justice of Serbia,
Vladan Batic, the Registrar discussed "the practical modalities
related to the obligation of the Belgrade authorities to transfer
Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague promptly and with all due diligence,"
the statement said.
Other issues discussed in the meetings included
the ongoing investigation of Mr. Milosevic by the Belgrade authorities
as well as information related to the Yugoslav draft law on cooperation
between Belgrade and the Tribunal.
The indictment against Mr. Milosevic charges
him and four others with crimes against humanity and violations
of the laws or customs of war during a "systematic attack
directed against the Kosovo Albanian civilian population of Kosovo
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."
Top UN official in Kosovo
and Yugoslav President agree on further cooperation
5 APRIL – Meeting in Belgrade today, the top United Nations
official in Kosovo and Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica agreed
to continue their cooperation on a wide range of issues.
Hans Haekkerup, head of the UN Interim Administration Mission
in Kosovo (UNMIK), and President Vojislav Kostunica both said
the talks, which lasted for one hour, had been constructive.
According to UNMIK, President Kostunica agreed
to urge the Kosovo Serbs to participate in finalizing the legal
framework for provisional self-government for Kosovo, and to take
part in elections to be held later this year. Legal experts from
Belgrade would assist Kosovo Serbs in finalizing the framework.
Mr. Haekkerup said he had agreed to use his
best efforts to determine the fate of 3,000 missing persons in
Kosovo, 1,300 of whom were Serbs. As part of that task, he raised
the possibility of doing DNA testing on the approximately 600
still-unidentified remains.
On the question of the divided city of Mitrovica,
it was agreed that UNMIK would work with the Yugoslav Committee
for Cooperation to ensure improved security for the area's Serbs.
Discussions also touched on the subject of Serb
returns. UNMIK said that while such returns were possible, "it
would still be a matter of enclaves rather than free and open
return and resettlement."
UN tribunal official hands
over Milosevic indictment to Belgrade authorities
5 APRIL – An official of the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia today presented the Belgrade authorities
with a copy of its indictment against former Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic.
Registrar Hans Holthuis was holding discussions with the Yugoslav
authorities to remind them of their obligations to cooperate with
the Tribunal, including by transferring Milosevic into the custody
of the Tribunal in The Hague, a United Nations spokesman said
today.
According to the Tribunal's rules, when an accused
person is arrested, the State in question must detain him and
promptly notify the Registrar. Rule 57 specifies that the transfer
of the accused to the seat of the Tribunal "shall be arranged
between the State authorities concerned, the authorities of the
host country and the Registrar."
The indictment against Mr. Milosevic charges
him and four others with crimes against humanity and violations
of the laws or customs of war during a "systematic attack
directed against the Kosovo Albanian civilian population of Kosovo
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY)."
Among other criminal acts committed under Mr.
Milosevic's leadership, the forces of the FRY and Serbia "forcibly
expelled and internally displaced hundreds of thousands of Kosovo
Albanians from their homes across the entire province of Kosovo"
by using threats and violence to create an atmosphere of fear
and oppression, according to the indictment.
Kosovo: after talks with
UN officials, NATO delegation warns against extremist violence
4 APRIL – Following a briefing by the head of the United
Nations mission in Kosovo, NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson
and members of the North Atlantic Council today delivered a stern
warning against any further activities by Albanian extremists
in Kosovo, the FYR of Macedonia and Serbia's Presevo Valley.
During their visit in Pristina, Lord Robertson and representatives
of the Council's 19 countries deplored the recent violence stressing
that it undermined the international community's support for Kosovo's
reconstruction and development.
According to the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) the NATO chief and the Council members
met today with UNMIK officials and members of the Interim Administrative
Council (IAC) and the Kosovo Transitional Council.
Lord Robertson said he had invited the head
of UNMIK, Hans Haekkerup, and a delegation representing all Kosovo
communities to visit Brussels on 26 April for further talks.
Briefing the visiting delegation, Mr. Haekkerup
said elections would be held this year, and while there was "a
question mark" about Kosovo Serb participation, there were
indications that they would take part.
UN tribunal official heads
to Belgrade to deliver Milosevic arrest warrant
4 APRIL – An official of the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia travelled to Belgrade today to hand
over the court's arrest warrant for Slobodan Milosevic and to
meet with the country's authorities.
Registrar Hans Holthuis plans to "clarify to the authorities
in Belgrade the steps that have to be taken to fulfil their legal
obligations set out in the Tribunal's Rules of Procedure and Evidence,
so that the authorities are clear on the course of future cooperation
with the Tribunal," according to a statement released by
the court.
Mr. Holthuis is anticipating meetings with the
Federal Minister of Justice, Momcilo Grubac, the Serbian Minister
of Justice, Vladan Batic, and the Serbian Interior Minister, Dusan
Mihajlovic.
The Registrar will hand over the arrest warrant
for Mr. Milosevic "to ensure that it is served on the accused,"
the Tribunal said. He will also be seeking information on the
nature of the charges being brought against Slobodan Milosevic
in the district court in Belgrade, "so as to be able to evaluate
the possible connection between the charges and the Tribunal's
indictment."
According to the Tribunal's rules, when an accused
person is arrested, the State in question must detain him and
promptly notify the Registrar. Rule 57 specifies that the transfer
of the accused to the seat of the Tribunal "shall be arranged
between the State authorities concerned, the authorities of the
host country and the Registrar."
Meanwhile, the Tribunal's President, Judge Claude
Jorda, and its Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, issued a statement
today recalling "the absolute obligation binding on the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia" to transfer Mr. Milosevic to the
Tribunal's custody. They called for a date to be set for the transfer,
noting that "Slobodan Milosevic is no different from any
other person" indicted by the Tribunal.
FYR of Macedonia re-opens
border with Kosovo, UN reports
3 APRIL – The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia today
re-opened its border with Kosovo, ensuring the delivery of essential
goods and medicines, according to the United Nations Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
UNMIK chief Hans Haekkerup told Kosovo's Interim Administration
Council that this welcome development came in fulfilment of a
promise he had received from the authorities in the FYR of Macedonia
when he visited the country last week.
Mr. Haekkerup also announced plans to meet Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica in Belgrade on 5 April to discuss
the legal framework for provisional self-government institutions.
He said he would press for the release of all Kosovo Albanian
detainees in Serbia, and anticipated discussing the participation
of Kosovo Serbs in elections to be held later this year.
Next week, Mr. Haekkerup is expected to visit
Albania for talks with the country's Prime Minister, Ilir Meta.
In another development, the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that at least 2,000 residents of
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have headed back to
their homes over the past few days after fighting died down in
the north of the country. UNHCR also said that only a handful
of people crossed into Kosovo over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the international security force
(KFOR) said today that it had increased its troop levels by nearly
two battalions on Kosovo's border with the FYR of Macedonia. KFOR
also announced that it had found an arms cache yesterday near
the Kosovo village of Krivenik -- an area close to the border
which had recently come under attack.
Annan welcomes Milosevic
arrest, urges Belgrade to cooperate with UN tribunal
2 APRIL – Welcoming the arrest of indicted war criminal
Slobodan Milosevic, Secretary-General Kofi Annan and top officials
at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) have urged Belgrade to cooperate with the tribunal on Mr.
Milosevic's transfer to the court's seat at The Hague.
"The arrest of Slobodan Milosevic is an important step in
the process of healing after the tragic events in the Balkans
since 1991," the Secretary-General said in a statement released
today in Nairobi, where he is currently on an official visit.
"I commend the authorities in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
for this decisive action."
Mr. Annan noted that while Mr. Milosevic is
being charged for crimes under national law, the suspect has also
been indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal for serious violations
of international law.
The Secretary-General expressed confidence that
the Belgrade authorities would cooperate with the tribunal, in
accordance with their obligations, and urged them to immediately
discuss with ICTY officials how this cooperation should be extended.
"It is important that those responsible for the violations
of international humanitarian law and the laws and customs of
war that occurred during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia
are brought to justice under due process," Mr. Annan stressed.
For their part, ICTY President Judge Claude
Jorda and Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte called the arrest a "positive
development," and expressed confidence that it would make
it possible for the Belgrade authorities to fully comply with
their obligations under international law. In a joint statement
released yesterday, they noted that among other requirements,
the authorities are obligated to transfer Mr. Milosevic and all
other indicted persons to The Hague.
According to ICTY rules, when an accused person
is arrested, the State in question must detain him and promptly
notify the Registrar. Rule 57 specifies that the transfer of the
accused to the seat of the tribunal "shall be arranged between
the State authorities concerned, the authorities of the host country
and the Registrar."
The ICTY officials also announced that they
had mandated the tribunal's Registrar to travel to Belgrade as
soon as possible in order to remind the authorities of the practical
modalities of their obligations pursuant to the court's Rules,
including Rule 57. The Registrar will also request a copy of the
national indictment against Mr. Milosevic, as well as all other
useful information, the tribunal's statement said.
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