[spectre] (no subject)

[geert]

TRAGIC DEATH OF A POLICY AND PEOPLE FROM IT 
By TRAGIC DEATH OF A POLICY AND PEOPLE FROM IT  (Veton Surroi, Koha Ditore)
 
1. While entering Kosovo yesterday through the Prishtina airport, I saw 
everything was different compared to the situation of a few days ago when I left. I 
started getting news two nights ago about the death of the Albanian children 
in the village of Çabër and before leaving the airport building I was informed 
by phone calls about the wave of clashes in Mitrovica, then Prishtina and 
until I finish this article who knows where else. I heard and saw the change from 
the Prishtina airport to the newspaper’s editorial-office. The increasing 
number of those killed and injured, most of them Albanians, was being updated 
every five minutes. There were information that none was intervening to stop the 
reciprocal shots in north Mitrovica. People close to me informed me about the 
Albanian residents stuck in Albanian enclaves in Mitrovica north, whose hopes 
for life was only in God’s hands. There were information that Prishtina 
Albanians set off for blocking the Serb village of Cagllavica. I was seeing in Fushë 
Kosovë how some Albanian youngsters were being pushed by KPS members after 
they had assaulted two Serb women and a man, all of them over fifties. In 
Prishtina, the usual mass of youngsters who would take a walk on a sunny day was 
replaced by the mess of ambulances’ and police sirens and almost full blocking of 
main roads. In two hours, following the landing at the Prishtina airport, 
there was a feeling in Prishtina that none was controlling Kosovo and it is close 
to full anarchy. In 24 hours, Kosovo was transferred from normality to a 
situation close to anarchy. 

2. In fact, for Mitrovica citizens, this was only one episode, a bloody one, 
of the situation, which was for them everything except a normal one. This town 
has been living divided for five years and has become a microcosm of Kosovar 
ethnic divisions. The Serbs in north have taken Albanians’ apartments after 
the left their homes in other Kosovo regions. The Albanians could not return to 
northern part of the town, respectively, they could return as much as the 
Serbs who fled could return. KFOR was between both communities. For almost five 
years, residents of this town have been told that Kosovo is making a progress 
and efforts are being made for them. For almost five years, a consensus has been 
reached that it may be lived like this- citizens do not have what to do, 
politicians have started to mention Mitrovica in electoral campaigns, 
administrators in Kosovo municipalities keep changing and all of them mention Mitrovica at 
the beginning and the end of their mandate that Mitrovica issue has to be 
fixed and KFOR is pleased if the situation does not worsen if it does not get 
better. In Belgrade, three governments support Mitrovica’s division, so, the one 
of Kosovo too, by parallel structures starting from those in the education 
system to security, including secret police and army intelligence.  There was a 
silent consensus that if the Mitrovica issue is not discussed an illusion of 
normality may be created then. The breaking of illusions was tragic, starting 
from the children from Çaber, who according to the first stories were running 
from their Serb neighbors, then for Mitrovica residents, who were killed and 
wounded, most of them Albanians, but Serbs as well, and for Kosovo as a whole a 
kind of a revenge of Mitrovica residents why Kosovars have forgotten them so 
far. 

3. Kosovo, which I had left a few days ago, was still living in illusions 
that such a situation, five-year long, was normal. When I returned, this illusion 
was broken by violence. Almost during the whole day, there was not state or 
political authority who could stop the violence. Appearance of SRSG Holkeri and 
President Rugova looked like a kind of anachronism. Holkeri was saying he was 
not understanding why the violence took place in Çaber, like it was important 
in those moment to know the psychological motives of violence. Rugova said to 
the people, “we are working on Mitrovica issue,” one of his stereotype 
answers about any problem and a stereotype answer which does not deserve lots of 
attention. Actually, the situation will become even tenser in the coming days, 
not only because of destructive consequences of violence, but also because of 
basic knowledge that neither UNMiK nor Kosovo institutions have something new 
to offer except the formula “it is being worked on.” 

4. A policy died yesterday in Kosovo and it took human lives in the most 
tragic way. It was a policy where UNMiK and Kosovars argued for a long time which 
competence when and to whom should be transferred. It was a policy, which does 
not have leading visions and deadlines to finalize them. It was a policy, 
which instead of concepts and solutions offered generalized empty formulations of 
the style “we are working on”, praising about the past and thoughts that the 
future will come by itself. As of today, we, as Kosovo, may be in a 
self-destructive race. On one hand is the policy not wanting to accept it died and 
failed as a concept. On the other hand, there is an accumulated energy of 
violence, which is unloading to detriment people lives and an elementary peace. Kosovo 
would be lucky if both competitors leave the race. This policy with its 
representatives and the violence coming from the huge political and institutional 
emptiness. 
 
Source: MONITOR FINAL EDITION PRISTINA MEDIA HIGLIGHTS- OSCE Mission in 
Kosovo- Office of Press and Public Information, 18 March 04