A Report on Kosovo’s Missing Persons

By Jackson Allers

Hello and welcome, from the studios of UN Radio in Kosovo…

The Kosovar Research and Documentation Institute or KODI, released its report on missing persons in late January. Called “The Right to Know,” the report was highly critical of the international community, and of the governments of Belgrade and Pristina for not treating missing person’s issues more urgently.

The report acknowledged the key role the international community plays in missing person’s issues. But, it also acknowledged that the support for the issue has waned in the face of other international conflicts – such as Iraq. Ilir Hoxha is a Senior Researcher with KODI.

“Why I mention UNMIK and the international community is because they have the most power to pressure Serbia to release the bodies and also to reveal the real fate of those that are missing. Also to open those files that we believe that exist in Serbia in order to know the truth, and also to find the perpetrators and to put them on a fair trial.”

But Hoxha asserts that judicial mechanisms alone cannot solve the issue of missing persons. He says that because of the nature of conflict and the crimes that are committed, it is impossible to document everything. As such, the KODI report suggests forming truth commissions, modelled after similar cases in over 30 post-conflict situations – including Argentina and Rawanda.

“The truth commissions are a good non-judicial mechanism to solve the issue of the missing because it can involve all parties involved in this issue. And with joint agreements they can find other ways how they can address the issue of the missing. And, to understand what truth ‘was’ and who was responsible for that.”

The KODI report also suggests that reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians is not possible until the issue of missing persons is resolved. Five years after fighting in Kosovo ended, official sources say there are as many as 3,000 Kosovars still missing.

Leonora Visoka was a Conflict Studies advisor for the report.

“There are certain tools for a sustainable peace. People and UNMIK have to follow those rules in order for peace to be sustainable, and this falls into that category. This is a very sensitive thing, and this is some sort of recognition. And, people without that recognition from Serbia that they actually did this harm to them and without that recognition from Serbia, people are going to feel like it’s going happen again.”

In January, Head administrator for Kosovo, SRSG Sørren Jessen-Petersen told the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross Jakob Kellenberger, that UNMIK was “ready to move on this issue straight away with the backing of the international community.” He added that further delays would only aggravate the suffering of families in all the communities involved.

Asta Zimbo is Director of civil society initiatives for the International Committee of Missing Persons or ICMP based in Bosnia and Herzogovina.

“It absolutely must be addressed as soon as possible, and especially due to the overall situation here which we know is very complicated as far as the Belgrade - Pristina dialogue, and the future of Kosovo – this is most definitely an issue that will have to be resolved before many other issues will be resolved because it is all tied together in some way.”

KODI is partnering with several non-governmental organizations to increase public awareness on missing persons. Critics of KODI’s report suggest it is ethnically one-sided – and only deals with those missing from ethnic Albanian families. Senior KODI researcher, Ilir Hoxha defends the report, saying the scale of atrocities committed against Albanians was greater. But, he adds that the issue should be resolved for all those who are missing – not just Albanians.

And with this we end today’s program. This has been a UN Radio in Kosovo production. Thanks for listening and stay tuned.