UN official calls on Belgrade to encourage
Kosovo Serb participation in elections
28 AUGUST – Briefing the Security
Council today on efforts to engage Kosovo Serbs in the forthcoming
province-wide elections, a senior United Nations official called
on Belgrade to encourage Serb participation in the political process.
Addressing an open meeting of the Council, Jean-Marie Guéhenno,
the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping, urged the authorities
of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to "fully support"
UN efforts to have "as many Kosovo Serbs register as possible
and to encourage them to participate in the elections" scheduled
for 17 November.
The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) is in the midst of voter registration, which began on
30 July and is set to run until 8 September. Over 39,000 people
have registered in Kosovo, over 25,000 in Serbia and some 500
in Montenegro, while the International Organisation for Migration
in Vienna has received nearly 28,000 mail-in applications.
Calling the registration figures "disappointingly
low," especially for the Kosovo Serb community, Mr. Guehenno
stressed that over the weekend both Yugoslav President Kostunica
and Prime Minister Djindjic had called on Kosovo Serbs to register.
"We hope that now Kosovo Serbs will register in greater numbers,"
said the Under-Secretary-General.
Mr. Guéhenno reported progress in relations
with Belgrade, primarily on the issues of missing persons and
returns. Efforts were continuing to develop instruments of law
and order enforcement, including legislation against organized
crime and a refurbished witness protection programme, he noted.
Mr. Guéhenno said UNMIK and the international
security force, KFOR, remained committed to countering Albanian
extremism and severing possible ties between radical Kosovo elements
and the National Liberation Army in the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia. Since 31 May, KFOR had detained over 600 individuals
and seized over 600 rifles, 1,400 grenades, 1,000 anti-tank weapons
and 139,000 rounds of ammunition, mainly in the border area.
In the ensuing debate, in which 18 countries
took part, speakers stressed the importance of all ethnic groups
participating in the elections, and underscored the need to ensure
the return of refugees, guarantee law and order, and curb the
activities of Albanian extremists.
Some 900 refugees return to FYR of Macedonia
from Kosovo: UNHCR
28 AUGUST – As NATO started its arms
collection programme in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
around 900 refugees went back to the country from Kosovo yesterday
in the largest return in recent days, according to the United
Nations refugee agency.
Millicent Mutuli, a spokeswoman for the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) told reporters in Geneva today that nearly 30,000
refugees have now returned from Kosovo, including some 5,600 since
the signing of a peace agreement on 13 August. "Most have
gone back to urban centres, indicating a lack of confidence in
the security situation in their home villages where the situation
remains unstable," she said.
"UNHCR is concerned about returns to insecure
areas," Ms. Mutuli said, "and is worried that NATO's
temporary presence may be giving a false sense of security."
In particular, the required pullback of ethnic Albanian rebels
and Macedonian security forces to permit arms collection from
the rebels created a security vacuum which could endanger the
civilian population, particularly the returning refugees and displaced
people.
According to UNHCR, nearly 29,595 refugees had
returned to the FYR of Macedonia as of Sunday, mainly to Skopje
and other urban centres, while over 51,000 remain in Kosovo.
Kosovo: UN mission chief holds 'constructive'
talks with top Serb official
27 AUGUST – Hans Haekkerup, the head
of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK), today held "long and constructive" talks with
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic, the UN Mission said
in Pristina.
During the meeting, the two men saw representatives of the families
of the missing from Gracanica and discussed ways to establish
the truth about the whereabouts of all those who were still missing.
On the question of detainees, Mr. Haekkerup
raised the question of the Kosovo Albanians still detained in
Serbia, while Mr. Covic expressed concern about the Serbs held
in detention in Kosovo. Mr. Haekkerup agreed that if there were
genuine grounds to review any of these cases, this would be done
in accordance with normal judicial process.
According to UNMIK, Mr. Haekkerup and Mr. Covic
agreed on the need to encourage a higher participation in registering
for the November 17 elections by Kosovo Serbs and internally displaced
people in Serbia.
Meanwhile, the KFOR international security force
continued to patrol the border with the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia and interdict the movement of people and weapons,
according to the force's spokesman.
KFOR spokesman Roy Brown told a press briefing
that the force was maintaining a "strong presence" along
the border - a policy that had resulted in the detention since
last Friday of 149 suspected members of the ethnic-Albanian National
Liberation Army (NLA) who had illegally crossed into Kosovo.
"We have no intention of allowing these
people to utilize Kosovo as a safe haven or as a hiding place
for their weapons," he said.
Kosovo: UN enacts regulation to monitor
property sales in mixed neighbourhoods
24 AUGUST – The head of the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Hans
Haekkerup, has signed a new regulation to ensure that all proposed
contracts for property sales in certain mixed neighbourhoods in
Kosovo would be thoroughly reviewed by a municipal administrator
before being approved.
The measure is intended to monitor inter-ethnic property sales
in areas where minorities have been fleeing, UNMIK said, and not
to prevent property exchange, but to ensure that irregular sales
that are detrimental to minority rights or Kosovo's multiethnic
character are not validated by the courts.
To designate areas where proposed sales should
be reviewed, Mr. Haekkerup will take into consideration security
concerns that could arise from the sale of the property, evidence
of a systematic pattern of sales of minority properties at unrealistic
prices and areas specifically designated for the early return
of minorities.
The regulation also establishes a regional review
committee for consistent implementation and calls for Mr. Haekkerup
to review it every six months to see if it is still needed.
Kosovo: with FYR of Macedonia border blocked,
UN mission forced to ration fuel
23 AUGUST – The border crossing between
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo remained
blocked for the sixth straight day, forcing the UN Interim Administration
Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to ration fuel, the UN Mission said
today.
As a further consequence of the blocking of the Blace border crossing
by demonstrators on the FYR of Macedonia side, the number of daily
returns of ethnic Macedonian refugees from Kosovo remained low.
A UN spokesman described the blocking as "unacceptable."
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), an estimated 53,000 refugees from the FYR of Macedonia
remain in Kosovo, while another 60,000 people are believed to
have been displaced within the country itself.
Kosovo: members of transitional council
back UN dialogue with Serbian leader
22 AUGUST – A large number of members
of the Kosovo Transitional Council (KTC) have backed the initiative
by the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) of holding talks with a top Serbian official, the UN Mission
said today.
KTC members voiced their support today after hearing a briefing
by Hans Haekkerup, the head of UNMIK, on his 15 August meeting
with Deputy Prime Minister Nebosja Covic. According to the UN
Mission, the purpose of the meeting was to address the problems
plaguing the territory and to seek Mr. Covic's help in encouraging
Kosovo Serbs to participate in the province's institutions.
Noting that the meeting had gone "very
well," Mr. Haekkerup told the KTC that he had informed the
Serbian leader that no parallel structures would be accepted in
Kosovo, and had underlined the fact that full security and administrative
responsibility for Kosovo rested with UNMIK peacekeepers and troops
from the NATO forces known as KFOR. Mr. Covic agreed, stressing
that he wanted to resolve problems and not create them, Mr. Haekkerup
said. He added that Mr. Covic had been supportive in urging Kosovo
Serbs to register.
Other issues discussed during the encounter
included the Kosovo Albanian detainees in Serbian prisons, the
Kosovo Serb prisoners in Kosovo, missing persons, and Mitrovica.
The issue of educational systems had also come up, but it needed
to be discussed again in the future, Mr. Haekkerup said.
Responding to reservations expressed by some
KTC members about the role of Mr. Covic, the UNMIK chief emphasized
that the purpose of talking to the Serbian leader had been to
resolve problems. In no way did it infringe the authority of UNMIK
and KFOR under UN resolution 1244. "Mr. Covic understands
that," he said.
Kosovo: head of UN mission condemns killing
of Albanian family
21 AUGUST – The head of the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today
condemned what he called the "ghastly and horrific killing"
of five members of a Kosovo Albanian family last night near Gllogavc/Glogovac.
"The cold-blooded killing of members of the Hajra family
is shocking, monstrous and incomprehensive," Hans Haekkerup
said in a statement issued in Pristina.
The head of Mission said "this foul murder
is not just a tragedy for the Hajra family but for all of Kosovo,
once again drawing attention to what is wrong in Kosovo society
rather than what is right."
"Such acts of violence threaten the progress
toward self-government and a democratic future," Mr. Haekkerup
said. "My deepest condolences go out to all those close to
the Hajra family at this dark moment."
Kosovo: UN launches probe into allegations
of sexual assault by police officer
20 AUGUST – A police officer serving
with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) has been arrested on allegations of sexual assault, a
spokesman for the mission said today.
The officer, who was stationed in Mitrovica, was taken into custody
and interviewed by UN police, UNMIK police spokesman Dean Olson
told reporters in Pristina.
Once the investigation
has been completed, an international prosecutor will evaluate
the facts and decide whether to proceed to trial before an international
judge.
"This is a criminal
investigation, not an internal one, and will be treated accordingly,"
said Mr. Olson, who declined to provide more information on the
case.
Meanwhile, UNMIK expressed
concern over the closure of the border between Kosovo and the
former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which has impeded rotations
of UN police.
The border closure currently
does not effect shipment of medical supplies but could pose a
problem at the end of the week when the next delivery is due,
an UNMIK spokeswoman said.
Senior UN Kosovo official meets with Deputy
Prime Minister of Yugoslavia
17 AUGUST – A senior United Nations
official in Kosovo today met with the Deputy Prime Minister of
Yugoslavia to discuss the province's judicial system and the ongoing
hunger strike by 16 detainees.
Following their meeting at the Mitrovica Detention Centre, Jean-Christophe
Cady, the official in charge of police matters for the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and Nebojsa Covic, who
is also head of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo, issued a joint
statement that said both sides sought concrete solutions to the
issues behind the hunger strike in order to end it.
"We also engaged in a wider discussion
on how both UNMIK and the Serbian Ministry of Justice can contribute
to improving further the judicial process and to build on the
ongoing efforts to enhance the trust of the people in the judicial
system," the statement said. Both the Serbian and UNMIK officials
agreed that the goal was a multiethnic judicial system for Kosovo,
"available to all communities on an equal and impartial basis."
The two officials also reiterated the need to
increase the number of Serb judges, prosecutors and lawyers in
the ongoing efforts to build a multiethnic judicial system in
Kosovo without creating parallel systems in the province.
Kosovo UN chief meets Yugoslav Deputy Prime
Minister for wide-ranging talks
15 AUGUST – The head of the United
Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) today met with
the Deputy Prime Minister of Yugoslavia for wide-ranging talks
on the current situation in the province.
UNMIK chief Hans Haekkerup, along with the commander of the international
force in Kosovo (KFOR), Lt. Gen. Thorsten Skiaker, emphasized
to Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic the importance of implementing
the key Security Council resolution throughout Kosovo, especially
the need for ensuring that no parallel security and administrative
structures were present in the province.
Mr. Haekkerup and Gen. Skiaker also welcomed
Belgrade's positive attitude regarding voter registration for
the upcoming Kosovo-wide elections and encouraged full participation
by the Serb community in those elections.
In other news, UNMIK has confirmed - following
an investigation - that there was no evidence of a refrigerated
truck containing bodies at the bottom of a lake, as reported in
the Serbian media.
The UN police Missing Persons Unit and a fully-equipped
KFOR diving team participated in the investigation, and said that
nothing was found at the bottom of Radonijicko Lake, near Djakovica.
UN police have also failed to uncover - after
more than a year of searches - any evidence to support reports
of places in Kosovo where Serbs are being illegally held, UNMIK
said.
Kosovo: two UN police officers repatriated
due to 'professional misconduct'
13 AUGUST – The United Nations Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today said two of its
police officers had been repatriated to their home countries because
of professional misconduct.
The repatriation occurred following an UNMIK investigation into
charges that four of its police officers were involved in the
movement of women for the purposes of prostitution.
"The investigation has now been concluded,"
said Derek Chappel, UNMIK police spokesman. "Two officers
were found to have contravened the Code of Conduct. They have
been repatriated. Two other officers have received letters of
reprimand."
While the four policemen committed professional
misconduct "to varying degrees," evidence was not found
to support criminal charges, the spokesman said.
More people returning from Kosovo to FYR
of Macedonia: UN refugee agency
9 AUGUST – The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported today that many people
have continued to return to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
from Kosovo over the past three days, although the pace of the
movements slowed down yesterday.
"Obviously the developments on the ground have frightened
people off," said UNHCR spokesperson Astrid van Genderen
Stort at a press briefing today in Pristina. "Many are thinking
twice before returning and waiting for better days.
Since the beginning of the conflict, more than
78,000 people have arrived in Kosovo from the FYR of Macedonia,
while approximately 24,000 of that number have returned back,
leaving about 54,000 refugees in Kosovo, Ms. van Genderen Stort
said.
In other news, UNHCR remains "extremely
concerned" that, more two years after the entry of the international
community in Kosovo, there was still no freedom of movement for
most of the province's minority inhabitants. "There is no
guarantee of security for any non-Albanian and attacks on completely
innocent members of the minority population continue," Ms.
van Genderen Stort told the press. "Just looking through
the police reports of the past month - arson, shooting incidents,
assaults directed at members of the Serbian, RAE, Bosniak and
Gorani communities continue to happen on a daily basis. The return
of all communities to Kosovo is being hampered by these incidents,
and so is the creation of a multi-ethnic society that strives
to achieve an autonomous status."
According to the spokesperson, UNHCR focuses
on the improvement of living conditions in order to allow members
of all ethnic communities to return to their homes. "Displacement
is a status no one prefers to be in," she said. "It
is the responsibility of all people of Kosovo to ensure a secure
environment for themselves and for others and allow others to
return in safety and dignity."
UN official in Kosovo condemns attack against
Serb convoy
7 AUGUST – Reacting to this morning's
ambush of a Serb convoy in Kosovo that injured three people, a
top United Nations official today strongly condemned the attack
as a threat to peace in the province.
"This violent and irresponsible behaviour by a small element
of the society is seriously jeopardizing the future of all citizens
of Kosovo," Gary Matthews, the deputy head of the UN Interim
Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), said of the attack that
had taken place near Podujevo as a group of Serbs was travelling
in a convoy to Serbia.
"As we move towards elections in November,
such acts of violence are extremely destabilizing as they undermine
our efforts to bring peace and stability to Kosovo," Mr.
Matthews said, adding that it was the second attack over the past
24 hours.
In a separate development, UNMIK retook control
of a building in Gracanica in which an Office of the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia's Committee on Kosovo had been inaugurated on 3
August without any prior consultation with UNMIK.
UNMIK said that it had repeatedly made clear
to the Committee that the Office could not be opened with the
UN's authorization. On 5 August, the UN Mission requested the
Yugoslav authorities to take immediate action to close the Office
and restore the building to its former status. "The request
was not followed," UNMIK said.
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