UNMIK ON AIR
By Zoran
CULAFIC
The process of returns
for internally displaced people, or IDP’s is one of the top priorities for
UNMIK and the Kosovo Government. It remains among the most important aspects of
the Standards for Kosovo. At the same time, it is an issue that raises most of
the political disputes between Belgrade and Pristina.
On the eve of upcoming
parliamentary elections in Kosovo much is riding on how this issue of returns
is handled by UNMIK’s new head, SRSG Soren Jessen-Petersen.
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are listening to UNMIK on Air.
Peggy Hicks, Director
of the UN ORC, Office of Returns and Communities in Kosovo, spoke with UNMIK
On-Air recently about the difficulties of getting people to return to their
homes. She stressed the process is moving in a positive direction – with the
most visible example being the Kosovo Government reconstruction project –
started after the March riots.
Hicks – “I think
that all the different Kosovo Albanian parties have admitted clearly that they
support the returns process and that they want to have greater dialogue with
the Serb community and minority communities. There is always a question about
what steps they are taking the concrete steps, and we’d like to see follow up
to that.”
Hicks says the Kosovo
Government’s immediate response to the Albanian rioters sends a clear massage
to Kosovans that violence is absolutely unacceptable.
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According to figures
from the ORC, out of the 900 houses that were damaged during the March riots,
some 80% have been completed or are under reconstruction at this point.
Nenad Radosavljevic is
SRSG Soren Jessen-Peterson’s advisor for return issues. He represents the
common stance of Serb political leaders both in Kosovo and in Belgrade.
Radosavljevic asserts there is no real willingness in international circles and
with local Government to dramatically improve the process of returns.
Radosavljevic “The
International community and the Kosovo Albanian community had many
opportunities in recent years to show their good will for the return of IDP's.
Under the pressure of international institutions, Kosovo-Alabamans did express
their "good will", but more in words. Concrete changes have been slow
moving thus far.”
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CONSTRUCTION SOUNDS
Svinjare village, some
5 kilometers from Mitrovica, was completely burned down during the March riots.
Kosovo’s Government undertook the task of reconstruction and about 50% of the
houses in the village are either repaired or work is underway.
UNMIK chief
Jessen-Petersen visited Svinjare during his second week in office. Kosovo Prime
Minister, Bajram Rexhepi, accompanied him.
Petersen – “Just
rest assured that both we, UNMIK and KFOR, but also the Government is doing
EVERYTHING possible to make the secure … to make you feel secure and do
everything we can do that you can move freely and you can feel that you can
restart your life here.”
Ilinka Simic, a Serb
woman from Svinjare, says she was surprised the Kosovo Government acted so
quickly to repair the damage from the March unrest. But, Simic has not yet
moved into her house despite the fact that it was repaired some 5 months ago.
She spoke to UNMIK
chief Jessen-Petersen and Kosovo Prime Minister Rexhepi during their visit to
Svinjare.
CUT 15 Ilinka Simic – Yes,
please, go inside and you will see that the house feels like it’s already going
to fall down again … I was surprised, just one month after they reconstructed
it, I wanted by now to return and settle in but … just look at it yourself and
you can see what I’m saying …
Speaking to the [add her age here] year old Simic in
Serbian, Kosovo Prime Minister Rexhepi assured her that the huge crack running
through the kitchen wall would indeed be dealt with immediately.
CUT Rexhepi (In
Serbian) – This should never happen …it is a defect in the construction
process and the company must have it adequately re-reconstructed, or they must
re-do the job again at their own expanse.
Tomislav Radivojevic
is a 71 year-old Serb from Svinjare village whose home has not yet been
reconstructed. Radivojevic expressed a strong belief that the return process is
moving forward and that reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians is indeed
possible. He said that in previous times, the relations between neighbors were
good because of the strong influence of state institutions.
Radivojevic says that
Serbs and Albanians used to work on the land together, with cooperation, and
friendship’s were made. He admitted having more friends among Albanians then
among Serbs. According to Radivojevic, what is needed in Kosovo the most is
rule of law.
Radivojevic – “Good
law and everything is possible …just good law, otherwise, without good laws,
nothing is going to happen.”
And this concludes
this edition of UNMIK ON-air. Thanks for listening.