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CONTENTS: 8 Oct 2001 SERBIA IS MOVING THE KOSOVO-SERBIA BORDER
Due to the recent report about Albanian land not being located inside Kosovo's territory, the villagers of Dardana, which is located on the border with Serbia, are concerned that Kosovo's border is being torn up, reported Kosova Sot on page nine. The Serb police put up barracks along the eastern side of the Novosellė-Karacevė road. KFOR abandoned its roadblocks along the road and the troops are now located hundreds of meters west from the road. The American troops began building a new circular road from Novosellė to Karaēevė, which is under the control of Russian KFOR troops. Administrator of Lower Karaēevė Bislim Lenjani is building a new house on the eastern side of the road. According to Lenjani, several German KFOR troops, the Serb Minister of Interior Affairs and a Serb policeman came to his house on 29 August. "We know that our land extends up to here," stated the minister, pointing at the house. The President of Dardana Municipality Shaip Surdulli sent a letter to KFOR about the Albanian population's concern on this issue. "It is very worrying that KFOR, UNMIK Police, Serb Minister of Interior Affairs Vladan Bozovic and Serb troops entered the road of Novosellė-Karaceve on 29 August. Serb forces repeatedly entered Kosovo's territory around Karaceve on 30 August," it was said in the letter. "The land of the local population covers territory over to the border with Breznica. I paid taxes and after I got the document to build my house, I began to work on it. Now, someone comes from Serbia and wants to place the border in my backyard," stressed Lenjani. The villagers say that this land belongs to Karaceve villagers and no one has the right to claim it. Administrator Lenjani believes the words of American KFOR, that there will be no Serb police along the Novosellė-Karaceve road. Surdulli calmed the public by writing numerous letters to UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup and KFOR. In a letter he sent to the IAC and Haekkerup, he requested the setting up of a commission at IAC's level. The purpose of the commission would be to discuss the issue of the road Novosellė- Karaceve. "The entry of Serbs onto the territory of Kosovo, particularly this specific road, is unacceptable. Due to the fact that the Yugoslav map is inaccurate, we oppose the presence of the Serb forces along this borderline," it was said in the letter. AAK member in Dardana Shefket Canaj was also concerned. "We have increased contact with citizens of Dardana in order to do everything in our political power to prevent the borders from changing. KFOR, UNMIK and the municipality are not competent enough to solve the issue of the borders. Surdulli believes that the issue of the borders should be solved after the November elections when Kosovo has a higher institution. Surdulli believed that this is not a simple issue and should be made public. According to him, this is a political issue. UNMIK and KFOR were not pleased that the issue was raised for discussion in public. American Colonel Brooks met Surdulli and told him that the letter he sent truly worried the internationals and did not contribute to solve the problem. Brooks told Surdulli that the letter written to Haekkerup was about an issue that does not exist and has "disgraced us and left a bad impression about the municipality of Dardana." At the end of the meeting, Brooks said that he wants to be sure that this part of the border is not being used for political purposes. Surdulli informed Kosovalive that the Serbs presented a new map, according to which Serbia wishes to penetrate in a point between Novosellė and Karaceve, this way taking away a part of the land owned by the Albanians, according to the map of 1962. According to Surdulli, the Serb forces are located along the administrative border. He received information, respectively a map with the signature of the American KFOR and the Serb forces, according to which, part of the road is on Serbian territory. This issue was discussed on Tuesday during the IAC meeting. UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel stated that they are not aware of any land that has changed hands. The new COMKFOR commander Marcel Valenten stated that KFOR's mission is to assure a secure environment for all, especially now that Kosovo is at a historic turning point. Professor of International Law at Prishtina University Zejnullah Gruda said that there had been no change of borders in this case and that the duty of internationals was to keep the territory given to them by the international community. "As for the border, the issue should remain the way it was when Yugoslavia was dissolved in 1999. Back then, war broke out and people died for this issue," stressed Gruda.
Serb officials made a suggestion to the International Administration and the peacekeeping troops in Kosovo about including the members of the organization called "bridge watchers" in the KPC. This suggestion caused great confusion among the Kosovar citizens, reported Kosova Sot on page nine. French peacekeeping troops accepted the suggestion, whereas UNMIK and the Albanian population oppose it. According to the MNB North Spokesman Terry Fusalba, the "bridge watchers" will take an exam to see if they fulfill the conditions in order to join the KPC. "Those who have participated in crimes, will not be accepted. Not all of them are criminals and we must help them get on the right track." International Police Official in Mitrovica John Napolitano said that he was not informed on this, but he does not believe that the "bridge watchers" can join the KPC. "Last year, several individuals known as "bridge watchers" asked to join the KPC. But they were not accepted because they did not fulfill the criteria. I do not know who made this suggestion," stressed Napolitano. Serbian Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic requested UNMIK Administrator Hans Haekkerup to include several "bridge watchers" in the KPC. The MNB North Commander Alen Kostaini supported the request. However, the Albanian population and their political party leaders are against this illegal group of 300 armed Serbs, who have been operating in parallel to international security structures in the northern part of the city, to join the KPC. "UNMIK and KFOR's greatest mistake would be to include these murderers in the KPC. These people are not bridge watchers, they are bridge problems," stressed AAK official Nazmi Fejza to Kosovalive. "These people have not worked to unite the city. They have only worked towards its separation," stressed LDK Official Faruk Spahija. "I do not believe that the international community would allow this to happen," stated PDK Official Bajram Rexhepi and said that considering Belgrade's pressure, everything is possible. Nonetheless, if these people join the KPC, the ones who will be scared the most will be the citizens of Mitrovica. "I am scared of such a police. No man can ever convince me that once they join the KPC, they will change their old ways," stressed a Kosovar taxi driver.
The President of the Serb Coordinating Council for Kosovo Nebojsa Covic told the Serb-based Beta news agency that during a meeting that took place on Saturday, seven new groups were established and five functionaries were appointed, reported Koha Ditore on page four. Covic said that Slavisa Krstic will lead the group for the returns, Bozo Prelevic will lead the group dealing with Police and Justice issues, whereas Momcilo Trajkovic will lead the group dealing with issues concerning civilian administration. According to Covic, Sanda Raskovic Ivic will lead the group dealing with movement of Kosovo Serbs in and out of Kosovo. Oliver Ivanovic will lead the group dealing with issues of economic development and reconstruction. Covic stressed that the Coordinating Council is now complete and therefore is able to work in the terrain in order to change the UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
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