UNMIK/PR/432
PRESS RELEASE - 29 November 2000

SRSG announces Joint Committee for Returns with Ashkaljia/Roma community

Pristina-- SRSG Bernard Kouchner yesterday announced the establishment of a Joint Committee on Returns for the Ahkaljia/Roma community. The Committee, which will begin work early next year, will be similar to the one that has been established with the Serb community.  It will identify villages where houses will be built and security conditions ensured before people resettle.

"We should plan returns carefully because the recent killings remind us that the confrontation between communities is unfortunately not over", said SRSG Bernard Kouchner.

Dr. Kouchner visited the Ashkaljia/Roma displaced camp in Obilic, a few weeks after four members of Ashkaljia community were killed in the village Dosevac/Dashevc. He had a discussion with camp leaders who raised concerns such as their life conditions in the camp, lack of freedom of movement and unemployment.

"Lack of security in Kosovo, such as the recent events, prevent us from returning to our homes as has been our wishes for 18 months after the conflict", claimed the camp leaders, blaming the international community for not doing enough to get them back to a normal life. They asked to be reallocated in a third country.

SRSG Kouchner and Lennart Kotsalaimen, Chief of the UNHCR mission in Kosovo explained to them that no country is offering that possibility. Dr. Kouchner assured the displaced people that with continuous international effort, they will retrieve their homes and  properties.

The current camp population is 693 people. The majority come from Obilic, Pristina, Lipjan and Kosovo Polje. There are also 30 Serbs in the camp, (15 IDPs and 15 Croatian Serbs) who have been living at the site for the past few years. The camp is also located near an adjacent Albanian neighbourhood of around 20-30 families, Plemetina's Serb neighbourhood and a sizeable Ashkalija/Roma community.

The camp is managed by ICS (Il Consortzio Italian di Solidarieta). Médecins du Monde France provides regular medical services. Enfants du Monde works with the children and community facilities including a school and a small computer centre.