February 3, 2001
A Kosovo Albanian newspaper has suggested that the divided city of Mitrovica could be the first issue over which the Albanians and the international authorities come into conflict in Kosovo. It complained that UNMIK was allowing the Serbs to maintain parallel authorities, in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. UNMIK and Kfor should not try to equate the 90 per cent Albanian majority with the 5 per cent Serb minority. However, it made good sense for the Albanians and UNMIK to continue cooperating. The following is an excerpt from a commentary by Zijadin Gashi, "Albanians doubt UNMIK strategy", published by the Kosovo Albanian newspaper Gazeta e Re on 3 February:
Maybe Mitrovice [Kosovska Mitrovica] will be the first serious issue over which clashes will start between the interests of the majority population and the policy of the internationals in Kosova [Kosovo]. Resolution 1244, which obliges UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] to implement it, judicially presents a unitary Kosova, as well as its towns. It does not foresee enclaves or regions where the minorities could build parallel authorities without submitting to the process of elections in the country. This resolution does not foresee the possibility for the minorities to organize armed groups, such as "Bridge Watchers", "Highlanders", ... [paper's ellipsis] It does not foresee powers of National Councils, but simply presents the UNMIK administration in Kosova and the only military force, that of Kfor [Kosovo Force] (NATO), as well as the internal organizing of joint structures that would lead Kosova towards building democratic institutions.
One year ago UNMIK promised that strategy. Albanian political parties supported that strategy also. At the beginning of its implementation, in the creation of a confidence zone, the plan of this strategy was violated, not only by delaying the creation of other foreseen confidence zones, but also within the created confidence zone itself, because it foresaw the inclusion of the space where the Serb National Council [SNV] has its building, and in fact this did not happen and the first zone remained narrowed. This action clearly showed the continuation of parallel authority in this part of Kosova.
The toleration of chaos in Mitrovice and other enclaves caused dissatisfaction among the public. The scenes that we see in Mitrovice remind us of similar protests that took place in past years. On one side is the uncontrolled crowd that throws stones and does not know how to express its just request for a united city as it should, because there is no one to lead them (although a local authority was elected there, but it is nonexistent), and on the other side are the special units ready to use force. This is the scene that appears on television screens, and which is delivered to the domestic and foreign public.
Seeing these scenes, the impression is created that things in Kosova are moving, changing. Once flowers for Kfor, today stones. Once Kfor had a single name, today it differs and it is called the French Kfor, the Italian one... [paper's ellipsis] And why French and Italians in Mitrovice? - a question that is being repeated in this city divided by force, the last of this kind in Europe. Another truth could be concluded from this. The mood we see among the crowd has maybe started to show up also in the political relations between Albanian structures and the international bodies. In the painful talks with the leadership of UNMIK and Kfor, Albanian representatives finally showed more determination. This does not mean that they have achieved the result of uniting Mitrovice, but at least the Albanian political representatives do not rely much on UNMIK strategy any more to promise the citizens that the city will unite.
The contradictory declarations between Albanian and international policy can in no way be understood as a conflict, but as a process of democratization and a realistic situation in Kosova. The international community should finally understand the message from Kosova, because the majority population, which comprises more than 90 per cent of the population, should do the politics in Kosova. On the other hand, equating the 90 per cent Albanian voice with the 5 per cent Serb voice would mean a return to the past. UNMIK and the international community should help in implementing the international card on the rights of minorities in Kosova and give up creating political equality, which cannot even be imagined between the 90 per cent and 5 per cent.
It is in the interest of Albanians to have UNMIK for a partner, and vice versa. In this direction, it should only be played with the correct political card, which understands respect by the international community for the real political forces in Kosova...
