Thu 2 Sep 2004 CHRISTIAN JENNINGS
ETHNIC violence in Kosovo this spring overwhelmed the United Nations' mission and NATO peacekeepers to the point of near-collapse, says a damning high-level internal UN report leaked to The Scotsman.
The report, by a five-man team sent from UN headquarters in New York, paints a picture of a mission in crisis.
It says the 18,000-strong NATO force cannot currently maintain safety and security in Kosovo, adding that the UN administration is even incapable of providing security for foreign diplomats and for itself.
The findings have wide- spread implications for the UN's so-called "nation-building programmes", from East Timor to Haiti.
The report focused on the response of the UN's mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to an outbreak of ethnic violence that engulfed the province in March this year, the worst such outbreak in the former Yugoslav province since NATO and the UN arrived in June 1999.
"Many [of those interviewed] believe that UNMIK and K-FOR (NATO's peacekeeping mission) would have collapsed had the riots gone on for another day or two," says the internal audit.
It continues: "Both UNMIK and K-FOR were overwhelmed by the events. K-FOR currently has neither the strength nor the posture required to maintain a 'safe and secure environment' within a civilian population."
The report is damning, and would be a blistering indictment of any UN mission anywhere in the world. The huge difference with Kosovo is that the UN administration is the de facto government, and when crisis strikes the UN cannot simply evacuate.
The province has been under international administration since a 78-day NATO bombing campaign ended in June 1999, and ex-president Slobodan Milosevic went to the negotiating table with NATO and the international community.
On 17 and 18 March this year, after months of comparative peace, a concerted and orchestrated Albanian ethnic cleansing operation went into action in Kosovo, targeting Serbs and other ethnic minorities. It took NATO and the UN by surprise.
"[UNMIK] appears to have developed a habit of closing its eyes to the facts on the ground ... the leadership was not interested in what goes on in the province," says the report.
The UN mission was at that stage led by a timid Finnish politician, Harri Holkeri. As the violence spread, the UN's command and control structures proved inadequate in the face of large-scale civic disorder.
Nineteen Serbs and Albanians were killed, some 900 wounded, and 550 Serb and minority homes burnt along with 27 Orthodox churches and monasteries, as an estimated 50,000 Albanians went on a rampage in the province.
The NATO-led force, known as Kosovo Force, or K-FOR, "failed catastrophically" to protect ethnic minorities, said Human Rights Watch in a report released this June.
UNMIK carried out a series of performance assessments shortly after the violence, but so bad was the leadership and tactical co-ordination of the mission during the rioting that in late May a five-man internal affairs team arrived from New York headquarters to report back directly to Jean-Marie Guehenno, under-secretary-general for UN peacekeeping operations. They spent ten days in Kosovo.
"UNMIK is in a funk," their report says. "After five years on the ground, progress towards UNMIK's objectives remains elusive and the mission seems to be nearing the point of overstaying its welcome. There are obstacles on all fronts, and the outlook for the medium term is worse.
Results of Kosovo "peacekeeping" mission since June 1999
"The [UNMIK] line staff reflected a sense of futility, compounded by a sense of deep frustration over what they experience as an operation adrift, with an organisational culture that inhibits communication, frowns on candour and stymies initiative.
"UNMIK is seen as aloof and are strangers in the society they govern."
Neither UNMIK in Kosovo or UNHQ in New York would comment on the report.
However, UNMIK now has a new pro-consul, the experienced Dane Soren Jessen-Petersen, an old UN hand. Meanwhile, NATO has a new force commander, the experienced French general, Yves de Kermabon.
It might not be too late to turn UNMIK and K-FOR around. Both bodies say that things have improved since March.
| http://news.serbianunity.net/bydate/2004/September_01/11.html SERBIAN UNITY CONGRESS (USA) More than 5,250 gravestones destroyed since KFOR, UNMIK arrived in Kosovo, Tanjug, September 01, 2004 More than 5,250 gravestones have been destroyed at Serb cemeteries since the arrival of UNMIK and KFOR in Kosovo-Metohija, Jedinstvo, the only Serbian-language newspaper in Kosovo-Metohija, reported on Tuesday. A total of 254 Serb cemeteries were razed to the ground and more than 70 chapels were torched, blown up or damaged in some other way. 
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http://www.iht.com/articles/536921.html
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE (FRANCE)
France takes NATO reins in Kosovo
Craig S. Smith NYT
Thursday, September 02, 2004
FILM CITY, Kosovo France took command of NATO peacekeeping operations here Wednesday, putting French generals at the command of NATO's two major current operations, in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
A French officer took command of NATO forces in Afghanistan in August. The voluntary commands are seen as an antidote to France's poisoning of American-led NATO ambitions in Iraq, where Paris has only reluctantly agreed to allow a tiny NATO training program.
France refuses to participate in the program and has sought to block NATO from engaging in a broader Iraq mission. France's command comes at a delicate time for Kosovo, starting shortly before regional parliamentary elections and just six months after the peace imposed by NATO was punctured by a widespread ethnic violence that forced more than 4,000 people from their homes.
"We're entering a period of maximum risk," said France's defense minister, Michčle Alliot-Marie, who attended the handover ceremony from German to French command. "The situation is calm but extremely fragile."
Human rights organizations criticized NATO peacekeepers, the Kosovo Force or KFOR, for failing to stem the violence, in many cases having remained in their compounds while rioting took place outside. The worst of the violence took place in the zone under French control.
Admiral Gregory Johnson, commander of NATO forces in Southern Europe, praised the outgoing German commander, General Holger Kammerhoff, at the handover ceremony, but not before delivering a general rebuke to KFOR for failing to prevent the violence in March. "The standards of those days don't meet the expectations of the North Atlantic alliance," Johnson said, adding that the response to the rioting was complicated by "national caveats" among the multinational peacekeeping force - a reference to varying rules of engagement between participating countries that hampered troops' reactions.
Kammerhoff said in his departure speech that "I've enjoyed every day of that I was here, except, perhaps, those three days in March." Major General Yves de Kermabon of France, who has served two previous tours in Kosovo, took over the command. The handover was at KFOR headquarters, surrounded by concertina wire and temporary wood-frame buildings beyond which lie the red tile rooftops of Film City, named for its erstwhile role as Yugoslavia's Hollywood.
KFOR's presence drives the local economy. On the road leading to the peacekeeping headquarters, one of the most thriving businesses is My Thai Massage, promising "relaxation."
After five years, Kosovo is still beleaguered by displaced families, chronic unemployment and a crippled economy dominated in many areas by organized crime. The international community has yet to start debating its final status, either as a province of Serbia or an independent state. At the handover ceremony, President Ibrahim Rugova of Kosovo said he was looking forward to the day when Kosovo can "enjoy recognition of its independence and integration into the European Union and NATO" - goals that remain for now a distant dream.
http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040901185514.4ilrddw3.html
Agence France Presse
New NATO commander in Kosovo to step up efforts to avoid fresh conflicts
PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AFP) Sep 01, 2004
The new French commander of NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo (KFOR) on Wednesday vowed to step up contacts with the province's authorities in order to avoid a repeat of Serb-Albanian clashes in March that claimed 19 lives.
"The situation has remained fragile, so it is undoubtedly necessary to change the ways how the force acts, to be more mobile, more reactive and to improve intelligence," French General Yves de Kermabon said.
He was speaking at a ceremony passing control of the 18,000-strong force to him from German General Holger Kammerhoff.
French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie arrived in Kosovo on earlier Wednesday to accept French command of the multi-national NATO-led peacekeeping force in the southern Serbian province.
"My intention is to work here with the Kosovars, multiply contacts with all Kosovo authorities, both Serb and Albanian, politicians, militaries, religious or security ones, because everything is done for them and with them," Kermabon said.
He said that the clashes in March had sent out a "red signal" and gave "the chance to become aware that the situation has remained fragile and that a lot of progress has yet to be made.
"The first effort is the reinforcement of security," the general said.
Nineteen people were killed in Kosovo in March when ethnic Albanian mobs rampaged against ethnic Serb villages in what NATO commanders described as an organised campaign of "ethnic cleansing".
It was the worst ethnic violence since the end of the 1998-99 war in the UN-administered province, but NATO forces were unable to protect Serb villages as homes and religious buildings were torched.
Meanwhile, Alliot-Marie met with the chief of the UN mission in Kosovo, Soeren Jessen-Petersen.
"Kosovo is probably one of the places in the Balkans where the situation is still fragile and the events in March have shown that the slightest incident can inflame the situation."
She also warned that, ahead of the elections in Kosovo, due to be held on October 23, "the electoral processes are always periods of tensions and maximum risk."
Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova said that "KFOR has proved its capacities and maturity.
"I have promised my support as well as the support of people of Kosovo,"
Rugova said.
After Kosovo, French Defence minister Alliot-Marie will travel to Kabul to visit French forces deployed in Afghanistan.
Belgrade Media Update, September 02, 2004
Contact Group in Pristina and Belgrade (RTS/Tanjug)
At a meeting behind closed doors in Berlin, the Contact Group for Kosovo has called Kosovo Serbs to take part in the October elections, Tanjug quotes German diplomatic sources. As announced, representatives of the Contact Group will visit Pristina and Belgrade on Thursday and Friday, and acquaint PISG representatives and Serbian officials with the conclusions of the meeting.
EU ministers to discuss Saturday SCG and Kosovo (RTS)
As the EU chair, the Netherlands has confirmed that at the forthcoming informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, on Saturday, September 4, one of the most important foreign policy topics will be a discussion on SCG, including a discussion on Kosovo. The Dutch Foreign Ministry announced that the foreign ministers would direct the main discussion at the upcoming elections in Kosovo and that they would call on Kosovo Serbs to take part in these elections.
OSCE: No postponement of Kosovo elections (RTS/Tanjug)
OSCE cannot take into account any request for postponing elections in Kosovo, nor can it accept an additional voting for some ethnic community, OSCE spokesperson Sven Lindholm told Radio Free Europe. On the occasion of the assessments that it would be good to ensure a new date for the Serbs after overcoming the disagreement on their participation in the Kosovo elections, he underlined that something like that is unacceptable at the moment for the OSCE as the organizer of the voting. Towards providing free and correct elections, it is necessary that they are held in one day, said Lindholm.
Karic for participation in Kosovo elections but waits stand of Tadic and government (RTS)
PSS leader Bogoljub Karic has reiterated the stand that Serbs should participate in the Kosovo elections, but stressed that his party is waiting for the decision by Serbian President Boris Tadic and the government. PSS leaders recalled that the coalition of his party and SPOT had initially submitted a list with 110 candidates for Kosovo AMs, but then withdrew in order to wait for the final stand of Tadic and the government. Karic assessed that one number of parties in power considers that we should continue to spite the international community, i.e. the EU and the US, and reiterated the stand that non-participation of Kosovo political representatives in the elections could additionally worsen the position of the Serb people in Kosovo.
Svilanovic calls for Kosovo Serb vote (Beta)
GSS leader Goran Svilanovic has called on Kosovo Serbs to vote in the Kosovo elections in October. However, he added, the international community must guarantee their safety, which is not the case at present. Svilanovic said that he expected the Serbian government to call on Serbs in Kosovo to vote, adding that only in this way could they be involved in political life and the resolution of the provinces problems.
Henneke: I dont have data whether all Serb schools are reconstructed (RTS/Beta)
UNMIK spokesperson Mechthild Henneke has stated that she does not have precise data on whether all schools, which were destroyed during the March violence of Albanians, had been reconstructed and whether classes began in all of them. At a press conference in Pristina, Henneke stated that the school building in Kosovo Polje was renovated and ready for classed. UNMIK police spokesperson Neeraj Singh has expressed regret over the clash between the police and demonstrators in Pristina on 30 August the international day of missing persons. The outgoing KFOR spokesperson Colonel Horst Piper said he was satisfied how the media reported on KFORs activities.
School begins for all, except for Kosovo Polje children (Tanjug)
School began on Wednesday for some 25,000 pupils in Kosovo, who attend Serbian-language classes, head of the Serbian Education Ministry for the Mitrovica region Predrag Stojcetovic confirmed for Tanjug. According to him, all conditions have been provided for an undisturbed beginning of the new school year on the entire Kosovo territory, except at the St. Sava elementary school, which was ruined in the March violence.
Protest by SNC for Kosovo over attempt to take over school (RTS)
The executive board of SNC for Kosovo has most harshly condemned the performance by Albanian politicians who are trying with their pupils to siege the premises of the Staja Markovic elementary school from Strpce, the extended class in Gornja Bitinja, also attended by high school students of the Milan Rakic technical school from Urosevac. The attempt to ban classes in the Serbian language is one more blow not only to the Serb community, but also to all international factors that deal with childrens rights, and represents a flagrant violation of international conventions and UNMIKs failure. The executive board of SNC for Kosovo requests international communitys representatives to do everything in order to prevent possible incidents.
Albanians give up forceful intrusion into school (RTS/Tanjug)
A group of Albanians, who tried to forcefully take 50 of their children into a Serb school in the village of Popovce, Strpce municipality, has given up such an intention and peacefully withdrew after three-and-a-half hours of the siege of the school. Since the atmosphere was tense and threatened to receive wider proportions, I called the UNMIK administrator for the municipality of Strpce Richard Simmons, Strpce mayor Sladjan Ilic told Tanjug. Simmons arrived on the ground and since he explained to the Albanians that the municipality was ready to build two small schools in the villages of Gornja and Donja Bitinja, they peacefully left, said Ilic.
Donors conference for reconstruction of churches in Kosovo (Beta)
UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura has informed SCG Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic that he had accepted his proposition to hold an international donors conference at the beginning of November, aimed at supporting the reconstruction of destroyed and torched Serb churches and monasteries in Kosovo, announced the SCG Foreign Ministry. Matsuura has stated that UNSG Kofi Annan is also supporting the holding of the conference. In this respect, Draskovic has expressed most sincere gratitude to Matsuura and Annan. During the March violence in Kosovo, 35 Orthodox churches and monasteries were destroyed and torched, including those from the 14th century. As of June 1999, when the province became subject to UN and KFOR control, almost 150 Orthodox sanctities have been destroyed or damaged.
Nowicki: To solve problem of Kosovo Roma in New Belgrade (Beta)
Kosovo ombudsman Marek Nowicki has called on Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to do everything towards resolving the fate of Kosovo Roma who found shelter in the New Belgrade barracks in Blok 28. Nowicki also expressed concern in the letter because these temporarily displaced Roma from Kosovo have not been receiving adequate assistance either from the Serbian government or the international community for over five years now.
Investigation against Lekaj Anton starts (RTS/Tanjug)
The Belgrade District Court and Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor said that, at the Office's request, the Court's War Crimes Chamber investigative judge launched an investigation on 27 August against Lekaj Anton, who is suspected of committing war crimes against civilians in Kosovo. The suspect was arrested on the territory of Montenegro, under a warrant issued by the Pec District Court, and transferred to the Belgrade District Prison at the request of the war crimes prosecutor, the statement said.
KFOR commander urges safety for everyone in Kosovo (Tanjug)
KFOR's priorities will be to ensure safety for everyone in Kosovo and to maintain close cooperation with UNMIK, UNMIK police, and the Kosovo police, new KFOR Commander, French General Yves de Kermabon told his first press conference. The general said he was ready to cooperate with these structures more than in the past in order to create safety in Kosovo. He also appealed to all citizens to make their own contribution to this endeavour.
French General de Kermabon takes over KFOR commander duty (Tanjug)
French General Yves de Kermabon will take over the duty of the KFOR commander, Tanjug was confirmed at the multinational brigade northeast in Pristina, as the mandate of former commander Holger Kammerhoff has expired. The ceremony to be organized on the occasion will be attended by NATO Supreme Commander for Europe General James Jones, NATO South Wing Commander Admiral Gregory Johnson, French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and her Macedonian colleague Vlado Buckovski.
Serbian Orthodox Church: Unsecured destroyed churches in Kosovo continue to be plundered (RTS/Tanjug)
The plundering of destroyed churches in Kosovo continues even after the destruction and damaging of 30 Orthodox churches and monasteries in the March wave of violence, because some of these destroyed and desecrated objects are unguarded, the Serbian Orthodox Church stated. Unknown persons stole part of the altar construction on the southern side of the St. Nikola Church in Pristina over the past few days. This church was torched on March 17.
Contact Group and Jessen-Petersen Call Upon Serbs to Take Part in Kosovo Elections
All dailies report that the Contact Group has called upon Kosovo Serbs to take part in the Kosovo Assembly elections, so that in the future they can be part of the democratic institutions of Kosovo. It should be made clear to Kosovo Serbs that should they not participate in the October elections, they risk not joining processes that await Kosovo after October 23, it was said at the yesterdays meeting of the Contact Group in Berlin. Participating at the meeting of the Contact Group, SRSG in Kosovo Sřren Jessen-Petersen also called upon Serbs in Kosovo to participate in the elections and not miss the chance given to them to participate in the shaping of Kosovos political life which the elections offer.
Samardzic: Jessen-Petersen Demonstrated Good Will, Says Samardzic
The Advisor to the Serbian PM Slobodan Samardzic told Radio BBC that new SRSG Sřren Jessen-Petersen during his first visit to Belgrade: demonstrated good political will and understood Belgrades demands. He understood that Belgrade must do something for the Kosovo Serbs as neither UNMIK nor PISG had done this, said Samardzic. That means that greater institutional guarantees must be given for their position within Kosovo, and Jessen-Petersen was clearly told that Belgrade would always start with the Serbian Government plan, and that the accepted principles would be the guideline for political talks and Belgrades participation, he said. Asked whether Jessen-Petersen brought any proposal to Belgrade, which could serve as the basis for a continuing dialogue, Samardzic answered: No, he did not bring any proposal. Samardzic pointed out that Jessen-Petersen would arrive at the Contact Group meeting in Berlin with Belgrades proposal, the essence of which insists that without seriously taking into consideration the position of the Serb community in Kosovo, progress cannot be achieved.
SCG Foreign Ministry Refuses Kai Eides Proposal
SCG Foreign Ministry has assessed that a proposition made by the Special Envoy of UN Secretary-General to Kosovo Kai Eide is not sustainable. In his report submitted to Kofi Annan, the Norwegian diplomat has proposed a modification of the policy towards Kosovo and called for a discussion on the future status of the province, Tanjug reports. Emphasizing that SCG opposes the independence of Kosovo, officials in Belgrade point out that the root of problem in the province is not its unresolved status. The Ministry underlines that the implementation of UNSCR 1244 provisions represents the only path towards the stability of Kosovo and the achievement of a multiethnic society in the province.
Thousands of Tombstones and 254 Serb Cemeteries Destroyed in Kosovo
Since the arrival of international forces in Kosovo more than 5,250 tombstones in Serb cemeteries have been destroyed, reports Jedinstvo, the only newspaper in Serbian published in Kosovo. 254 Serb cemeteries have been completely devastated and more than 70 chapels have been mined or otherwise damaged. According to priests in Kosovo, vandals have opened graves in many cemeteries and even took out mortal remains. The damage inflicted to the Serb cemeteries in Kosovo has been estimated at 5 million euros.
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