Ethnic violence erupts in Kosovo, leaving at least four dead.
FEBRUARY 4 -- Ethnic violence that erupted yesterday in Kosovo's northern city of Mitrovica has left at least four dead and 20 injured, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) reported today.Among those killed in the clashes were at least two Albanians and two Turks. According to preliminary information, it appears that grenades were thrown into a Serb café, injuring several people inside. A large crowd gathered, attacking an Albanian man and his wife, beating them severely. A crowd then went on a rampage breaking into Albanian homes in northern Mitrovica. Seven UNMIK police cars were burned as well as some vehicles belonging to the UN High Commissioiner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The spate of violence comes less than two days after the rocket attack on a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) bus to Mitrovica, which killed two Serbs. Mitrovica remains tense and KFOR has imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., acting UNMIK spokeswoman Susan Manuel said.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General Bernard Kouchner, on a trip to Japan, has decided to cut short his visit and return to Kosovo. Meanwhile, Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General Jock Covey and senior officers of UNMIK have gone to Mitrovica.
Condemning the violence, UNMIK said such hatred threatens to derail the progress the people of Kosovo have made. The Interim Administrative Council also denounced the violence and called on inhabitants of Kosovo to refrain from further violence and any retaliatory actions, and to cooperate with UNMIK Police and KFOR in the investigation of the incidents and on finding ways to prevent further outbreaks of violence.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata also condemned the violence, which has resulted in new expulsions of ethnic Albanians in the divided city. "The violence against Serbs and Albanians must be brought to a halt and the humanitarian mission of UNHCR and its partners must be respected on the ground in Kosovo."
The violence has forced UNHCR to suspend operations in northern Mitrovica and relocate staff to the southern side of the city. There are 4,000 to 4,500 Albanians still living in northern Mitrovica but many have fled to the south side, UNHCR said.
Four administrative departments formally established in Kosovo.
FEBRUARY 4 -- Kosovo's Interim Administrative Council continued the build-up of the Joint Administrative Structure (JIAS) by formally establishing today the first four administrative departments of JIAS, under which Kosovars share the administration of the province with the UN.A statement issued by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said the four structures set up the province's highest-level administrative body were the departments of Education and Science, Health & Social Welfare, Budget & Finance and Local Administration.
The statement said the Council also agreed on the competencies of the different administrative departments and named the co-heads for 10 of the 29 proposed departments.
In addition, the Council agreed on the enlarged Kosovo Transitional Council -- the highest level consultative body -- and began discussions on how to assure compliance with the agreement reached on 15 December that all parallel structures will cease to exist when JIAS becomes operational.
"There still remains a lot of work to do until the entire JIAS will be fully functional. Kosovo and UNMIK experts are continuing their work on the rapid setting-up of the remaining joint Administrative Departments and joint local administrative structures, " the statement said.
Secretary-General condemns attack on United Nations bus in Kosovo.
FEBRUARY 3 -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on all the people of Kosovo to join him in denouncing the "heinous" attack on a United Nations bus, in which two people were killed yesterday.A statement issued by his spokesman in New York said the Secretary-General was "deeply saddened" by the incident in which two elderly persons were killed and five persons injured when an anti-tank rocket struck a UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) bus carrying 49 passengers between Mitrovica and Banja.
"It is the Secretary-General's deep conviction that, for as long as any single community of Kosovo lives in fear because of their ethnic or religious background, none can resume their normal life for which they have waited for so long," the statement said.
The Secretary-General also renewed his appeal to Member States to "urgently contribute direly needed resources and police" to the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
He said UNMIK was "working day and night to give the people of Kosovo the opportunity to build a tolerant society, in which the dignity and safety of human life is preserved for all communities."
Meanwhile, UNHCR Special Envoy Dennis McNamara said in Pristina that UNHCR was suspending all its bus lines operating in Kosovo while the attack was being investigated.
"I am horrified by this incident," he said. This was a vicious attack on a clearly-marked UNHCR bus carrying civilians."
United Nations bus in Kosovo hit by rocket fire.
FEBRUARY 2 -- A United Nations bus in Kosovo today came under a grenade attack that killed two passengers and injured three, according to preliminary reports from Pristina.The bus, clearly marked as belonging to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was on a routine run between the town of Banja and Mitrovica and escorted by armoured personnel vehicles of the international peacekeeping force (KFOR). Most of the 49 passengers were believed to be Kosovar Serbs.
Describing the incident as "grave", UNHCR spokesman Peter Kessler said this was the first time that the bus service had come under such an attack.
The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) deplored the "senseless attack" on innocent Kosovar residents. Jack Covey, Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, said in a statement that UNMIK and KFOR "will spare no effort in investigating this incident in order to bring those responsible to justice."
The bus was operated by the Danish Refugee Council as part of eight so-called "freedom of movement" bus lines established by UNHCR to ensure safe passage in ethnically divided communities.
UN police chief in Kosovo says more resources are needed to fight serious crime.
FEBRUARY 2 --Murders have dropped dramatically in Kosovo but more resources were needed to fight serious crimes, including attempted murder and hate crimes, the chief of the United Nations police told a press briefing in at UN Headquarters in New York today."We are understaffed. We need international police and we need them desperately," Police Commissioner Sven Fredriksen said. He noted that while the authorized strengthen of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) police was 4,780, there were only 1,970 international police deployed in Kosovo today.
He said UNMIK's priority in Kosovo was twofold -- "to be visible" so as to assure the population that "we are there and doing the best to protect them, especially in the minority areas," and to allocate resources to investigate serious crime.
He said not enough people were coming forward to assist the police with information when crime was committed. In the beginning, he said, "everybody welcomed UNMIK police but the honeymoon is over."
Mr. Fredriksen said UNMIK also needed resources to train local police, up to a strength of 3,000 to 4,000. Today there are only 176 local police cadets.
Setting up of Kosovo joint interim administration "on track", UN official says.
FEBRUARY 1 -- The setting up of the new joint interim administration in Kosovo continues, despite a delay in dissolving a parallel body, the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said in a statement today.The Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Jock Covey, said despite the setback a great deal had been achieved in the last six weeks and progress towards the building up of the Joint Interim Administrative Structure (JIAS) "remains on track."
Yesterday the "parliament" of the Kosovo Democratic League (LDK) scheduled another meeting instead of dissolving itself as forseen by the agreement that launched the JIAS on 15 December. LDK was one of the three political parties that are signatories of the agreement, under which Kosovars share the administration of the province with UNMIK.
Mr. Covey adjourned today's meeting of the Council, which had been expected to launch the first four operational departments of the JIAS. "Yesterday's events were distinctly unhelpful and have disrupted the excellent progress" made by the Interim Administrative Council (IAC), he said.
However, he pointed out that each of the signatories to the agreement on the JIAS has reconfirmed that "as of this moment, all parallel structures are dissolved."
"I join with each of my fellow members of the Interim Administrative Council in demanding clear and credible respect for the agreement we have made together," Mr. Covey said after the meeting.
