UNMIK ON AIR

March 29^th 2004

5 years after the NATO air strikes

By Gëzim Kasapolli

SLUG: Hundreds of citizens of all ages gathered in front of the National Theater in Prishtina to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the start of the NATO led bombing campaign on Serb military forces which later resulted in the UN administering Kosovo and facilitating the return of formerly displaced people from the region.

Hundreds of citizens of all ages gathered in front of the National Theater in Prishtina to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the start of the NATO led bombing campaign on Serb military forces which later resulted in the UN administrating Kosovo and facilitating the return of formerly displaced people from the region.

Hello and welcome to UNMIK on air.

“March 24 - Day of Hope”, “Violence is not the answer” and “Thank You NATO” were the words written on hand made posters carried by citizens of Pristina to mark the fifth anniversary of the NATO led bombing campaign against Serb forces in Kosovo. The anniversary comes one week after inter-ethnic unrest rocked the region, displacing some 4000 people, mostly Serbs.

The celebration was organized by the Civic Society of Kosovo or KACI. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi and Veton Surroi, analyst and editor of the daily newspaper “Koha Ditore” were notable attendants.

As the peaceful demonstrators handed flowers to KFOR soldiers, Prime Minister Rexhepi said that the anniversary marked the beginning of a new approach:

PM Rexepi: “On this day five years ago-- for all oppressed people of Kosovo—was the beginning of the end to horror and terror, which was unstoppable until that point. The suffering of the majority of the population touched the consciousness of the international community and put into action NATO mechanisms.”

Rexhepi added that there is still a great deal of work to be done in Kosovo saying KFOR is central in that effort:

PM Rexepi: For us the challenges after the war are still enormous. In facing such challenges the support of NATO remains a determining factor. For all that they have done so far we remain grateful to NATO, all the countries that participate in KFOR troops and all the soldiers who during these five years contributed in peace, stability and the prosperity of all Kosovars.

In light of recent unrest, Labinot Salihu, a member of Kosovo’s Civil Society, thinks that the anniversary was a prime opportunity for Kosovans to demonstrate appreciation and thanks to KFOR and NATO:

Labinot Salihu: I think it is a very good initiative, especially considering the situation in which we are for the moment. I think that there should be more such activities in the future.

Others like Arbnore Veseli, a student from Pristina, share this opinion and praise the role KFOR soldiers have played saying NATO has contributed to creating a safer environment for citizens in Kosovo.

Arbnore Veseli: This is very good, since we all now some years ago there was war and if it was not for them who knows what would have happened. With their arrival there was peace in the country and there is an order, which is very good.

Salihu says that Kosovars should be thankful to all that the international community and KFOR in particular for creating a secure atmosphere for all who live in Kosovo.

Labinot Salihu: Now it’s the day for Kosovars to show their support towards the international community and gratitude for the great support that the international community has given to Kosovars, and when I say Kosovars I mean all the communities that live here in Kosovo.

Veton Surroi, an analyst and editor of Koha Ditore-- a daily newspaper, thinks that although NATO and KFOR have done a tremendous job in Kosovo-- it is time to go forward or in Surroi’s words – it is a time of awakening.

Veton Surroi: It is a moment of awakening for those who helped and still help to see that Kosovo cannot go forward without having a head of household, that Kosovo should have it’s head of household and this head would be Kosovars themselves who should be able to run their country.

Fisnik Halimi, a researcher with KACI says it is important to note that not all Kosovo Albanians supported the recent violence. Instead, Halimi believes that a few Albanians capitalized on the heightened emotions…. which were aroused by the drowning deaths of three Albanian boys.

Fisnik Halimi: No, we cannot say that people of Kosovo were behind this violence. According to the latest reports from the ground it is obvious that there were very small groups of people who were conductors of the violence and they used the pain of the crowd who went out to protest for the drowning of three small children in river Ibri.

The clashes of last week tarnished the image of Kosovo and Kosovans according to Salihu saying that ordinary people in Kosovo are the true losers.

Labinot Salihu: Kosovo was the only loser, and all those achievements of the last five years were not completely ruined but I say that they were seriously damaged and an ordinary citizen of Kosovo was the one that lost the most.

And this is all for this edition of UNMIK on air. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for more.