UNMIK/FR/072/01
Serb returns
Osjane and Istog - Infrastructure Crucial for Both
A late summer bloom of umbrellas and torrential rain met Hans Haekkerup
when he visited the Serb return project in the Osojane valley last week.
The skies opened just as his convoy approached the Spanish KFOR checkpoint
that marks the beginning of the area where this UNHCR co-coordinated project
is centered. But the rain bucketing down on the neat encampment of UNHCR
tents, which shelter the returnees while they rebuild their homes, just
underlined the need for rapid reconstruction, as winter looms close.
Some 72 Serbs returned to the village of Zveçan/Zvecane in the
Osojane valley in August and another 5 arrived at the beginning of this
month. So there is now a total of some 77 men and women who with the assistance
of the UNHCR, KFOR and UNMIK are working on making village houses habitable
for their families who it is hoped will all join them later on. Thirty-two
families have so far been granted reconstruction assistance in the Zveçan/Zvecan
project area and this will translate into some 50 or more houses and perhaps
as many as 300 people. In subsequent phases it is hoped to extend the
project into other villages in the valley.
With steam rising from soaked officials and Spanish soldiers Mr. Haekkerup
was briefed by international project leaders and representatives of the
returnees in the old ???? building, one of the few which still had the
semblance of a roof. Mr. Haekkerup then took a walking tour through the
village where he talked with some of those who were busy repairing their
houses. Undeterred by the weather they told him how they were fairing.
Some spoke of their feeling of isolation from other Serbs in the area
and the problems of communicating with their families back in Serbia proper.
Some would like to see more medical facilities as, although they have
two nurses who are provided with drugs by UNMIK and a KFOR doctor visits
them once a week, they would prefer one of their own to live with them.
The shear scale of getting enough houses fit for winter was also a worry
for others because of the shortage of working hands. But, as younger villagers
have now begun to return they felt that this was beginning to improve.
Nevertheless, despite all the obvious difficulties associated with returning
to a place they were forced to flee, nearly all of them expressed their
determination to stay and rebuild their community. They appreciated the
help they were getting and were particularly grateful to KFOR who made
them feel safe. " This is my son and these are my grandchildren and
this is the house of my daughter in law and my house is up there"
said a gravelly voiced man pointing to his house on the hill and making
it clear that this is where he intended to stay. " I used to work
for Standard Enterprise, we built tall apartment houses in Pec/Peje the
Standard drivers, Albanians, came and when they saw me on the roof they
called me to shake hands as friends".
But the difficulties caused by a lack of facilities and infrastructure
are not peculiar just to the returning Serbs in the area. Kosovar Albanian
villagers complain of similar problems. The Istog Municipality, which
includes the Osojane valley, is a largely rural community where the economy
depends on agriculture. Many of its farms were destroyed during the war
as was much residential property and as a consequence the economy is weak.
Economic and infrastructure regeneration and reconstruction projects across
the communities are vital not just for sustainable returns but for the
municipality as a whole.
At an earlier meeting with Mr. Ali Lajqi the President of the Istog Municipal
Assembly Mr. Haekkerup heard more about these problems. Mr. Lajqi stressed
the need for infrastructure development particularly in the outlying villages
where water and electricity distribution and the state of the roads were
a recurring problem.
Mr. Haekkerup also spoke at a session of the Municipal Assembly and took
their questions. Talking to them about the returns he said that he understood
the problems of Kosovo Albanians in the region and how difficult it was
as a consequence of what had happened to accept returns easily. But he
was impressed how maturely they had reacted. "Democracy" he
said "was not about domination by the majority but of respect for
minorities." " Respect for human rights is one of the yardsticks
that will be used to judge the progress of Kosovo's self-government"
he added.
The member's questions reflected their concerns about broader issues in
relations with Belgrade. They asked about the remaining Kosovar Albanians
detained in Serbia and the ongoing talks with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister
Covic. Mr. Haekkerup told them how that since he had been SRSG some 500
of the detainees held in Serbia had been released and that he was now
pressing for the release of the remaining 200. These he said should be
returned now to Kosovo where their cases could be reviewed and that those
who were being detained as political prisoners should be released while
those who were common criminals should serve their sentences in Kosovo
prisons. This was the message he had given to Mr. Covic but his message
to the Assembly was that they needed to understand that Kosovo was a place
where all communities should be able to live together peacefully. Assistance
to the region would be granted according to need and available resources,
no one community would be preferred over another.
Back in rain soaked Zveçan/Zvecan the returnees were keen to underline
that they wanted to live in harmony alongside their Kosovar Albanian neighbours.
" If we hadn't believed in good relations with our neighbours we
wouldn't have returned," said Damjan Repanovic.
Note for editors
The full document may be consulted online in English at http://www.unmik.org/. Albanian and Serbian
versions can be provided.
For a selection of photographs, please contact Mr Ky Chung at 038 504-604 ext. 5467