UNMIK ON AIR

15 Jan. 2003

RETURNS

(Zoran ĆULAFIĆ)

Hello and welcome to this edition of UNMIK on Air.

Music up

Nearly four years after the war, Kosovo is going to face one of the key issues linked with the beginning of the reconciliation process, that is the issue of the return of IDP’s to their homes.

Returns was clearly mentioned by top level international officials as an inclusive part of the list of benchmarks, which must be fulfilled prior to any talks on the final status of the province.

As for the K-Albanian politicians, most of them publicly supported the returns process, and called out particularly the Serbs to integrate into the Kosovo society as soon as posible. But it appears to have been mere etiquette, as they failed to go beyond the verbal statements then reasuring their former neighbors that at least they are sincere in their thoughts.

However, the failure of the returns was caused mainly by Belgrades calculating policy, which dealt with the issue mostly as a tool to create political clashes with the International community, and as a proof that K-Albanians are not willing to build a democtratic society.

Aleksandar Mihajlovic, head of Gracanica’s based Serb IDP’s Association, called Zavicaj (Homeland), which groups some 545 K-Serb displaced families, told us that K-Albanian political leaders and Belgrade, as well as the International community, did not deal with the issue of returns in the right way up to now, moreover, as he said, they have completely forgetten the IDP’s living in Kosovo; still Aleksandar seems to be optimistic.

Aleksandar Mihajlovic: Frankly, I think it is the true that the issue of IDP’s was not in the focus in the previous period. You know, after the war people needed a lot of time to forget some things. But I think that the issue is coming into focus now and there will be lots of meetings between the Coordination Center and the International community representatives to pay more attention to the IDP’s. I have got assurences from Mrs Peggy Hikks (from UNMIK Office for the return), as well as from the Coordination Center, that 2003 and 2004 will be the years in which priority will be put on the returns process.

Serbia’s government Comissioner for refugees Sanda Raskovic-Ivic told us that the issue of returns was marginalized partly because two different strategies existed– one being proposed by UNMIK’s head Michael Steiner and the second one proposed by The Coordination Center.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic: The strategy, our strategy, which was made by the Coordination Center, is dealing with the group of 24 settlements, which includes multithnicity, but also includes the closeness of some cultural monuments; to be more concrete, some churches and monastries. So, it includes returns of IDP’s who can not return, for various reasons, to their original places. For eample safety, the lack of money for rebuilding, the lack of job posts, etc.

But UNMIK is insisting on the concept that those people should rerturn to their places and not to some other areas across Kosovo, which are inhabited by Serbs. That was the main obstacle and main reason why the returns were not successful in previous period, claims Sanda Raskovic-Ivic.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic: UNMIK’s strategy stands firm with the UNHCR principle, which is – that everyone is to return to their own place, wherever it is. If it is Drenica, than to Drenica, he must return to his own place. And I think that’s why that strategy, which UNMIK is insisting on, is not operational enough. Because, we do have to be realistic and to accept the situation in Kosovo as it is, and that is that on certain teritories in Kosovo still and for a long long time there will be no possibility for the Serb foot to step on, and not to mention the return of the people and the posibilty for them to live there.

The return of Serbs depends highly on the political will on all sides, but one could say it depends primarly on the real will and readiness of the IDP’s alone to return. But as for the Serbs, many of them are really confused by Belgrades policy and they are not confident when hearing Serb quarrelsome leaders talking about returns. Aleksandar Mihajlovic gives an example.

Aleksandar Mihajlovic: I’ll give you an example from Serb village, Babus in Urosevac municipalty. We had discussed earlier the issue of return there, but it was very difficult because all the houses were destroyed. When talking with international officials and asking them how we could manage to return those people there, after contacts were made with internationals and Albanians, neighbors, I was told that there must exist a very strong will from those IDP’s to return to their homes and after that it should not be difficult to find donors and some agencies to help in rebuilding their homes there.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic is optimistic when it comes to the returns process and she stresses that UNMIK is trying to do its best to make the process go ahead, even after Mr. Steiner refused, as she claims, to accept Belgrades concept of returns; a compromise could be reached, she adds.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic: I think It’s, as if there was no progress in the returns, and there is an evident interest for the returns even from the side of the (UNMIK) office, Mrs Hikks is an extraordinary woman and big enthusiast and big worker, and she is willing to have a succesful process. So, we’ll try to make an agreement and to reach a comrpomise. I’d like to stress and I told Mr. Steiner also, if we have a doctor from Prizren, for example, and he is now in Novi Sad, if he continues to stay there for ten years, he will never go back to Kosovo. But if he could get a job in Lipljan as a doctor, he’ll return to Prizren one day, maybe.

One of the key questions concernig the issue of returns is obviosly the fact that K-Albanians have to accept their former neighbors. It could be a long term process just waiting for that to happen, if there is no political action in Pristina to support that idea. Alkesandar Mihajlovic agrees with that and says he discussed that question with UNMIK officials as well.

Alkesandar Mihajlovic:That’s one of the questions we discussed with Mrs. Peggy Hikks and her assistant and we gave some examples from the villages in Metohija where the Serbs, who used to live there, firstly had to establish contacts through their reprersentatives with their former Albanian neighbors. And we’ll try to establish similar contacts as well, and I hope it will be sucessful. But without international community and Coordination center I think it won’t be sucessful to go there and try to talk, just on behalf of our Assocciation. Without support from the international community and Coordination center there will be no success.

The issue of the Albanian acceptance is a kind of moral and maturity test for Kosovos majority population, claims one of the K-Serb political leaders Momcilo Trajkovic.

Momcilo Trajkovic:That is where they have to pass a moral historical exam. I’m aware that there won’t be any serious returns if the Albanians do not accept it. It should neither be Covic, nor Steiner, nor Djindjic, nor Kostunica, nor Moma Trajkovic who make the Serbs return. They should do it (Albanians), they should call their Serb neighbors and tell them, here you are, we will protect you, we will help you. And with that they could become a very important factor, send a positive signal to all. And then, here we are to join integrational processes, and to participate in creating a multiethnic Kosovo.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic agrees with Moma and underlines that the Serbs future in Kosovo shouldn’t be in enclaves or getho’s, but integrating with Albanians.

Sanda Raskovic-Ivic: Our aim, the aim of the Serb side, is not to make enclaves, nor to make a new Serb getho’s. We’d like to support the returns, but returns which are in accordance with the real posibilities. That means – with the Albanian side accepting their neighbors, accepting their return, making them return and that was our basic idea.

The return of Serbs to Kosovo is one of and maybe most important UNMIK’s benchmarks which must be fulfilled prior to bringing to the table the question of Kosovo’s final status. Hopefully the willingness on both sides to reach that basic human right, and not to wait for administrative or political means to make it by force, will make the returns happen soon.

And with this we reached the end of todays program. Thank you for listening and stay tuned for more.