WRITTEN QUESTION E-0626/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(2 March 2000)

Subject: Kosovo: the right of the Serb minority to move to safe areas with a Serb majority

1. Is the Council aware that, since the establishment of the new authority in 1999, many of the remaining members of the Serb minority still living in Kosovo have no longer been able to travel freely within Kosovo and move (temporarily or permanently) to areas under the authority of the Government of Serbia or Montenegro, both because this section of the population is viewed with contempt by the Albanian majority, who were discriminated against between 1987 and 1999, and because there is inadequate manpower to provide military or police escorts to allow them to travel safely?

2. Can the Council confirm that in part of the town of Orahovac in Kosovo the Serb population now finds itself in a situation strongly reminiscent of that in the former safe haven of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina, i.e. that the people living there have become isolated from the surrounding area because it is populated by a different ethnic group who would like to see the back of the surrounded minority?

3. How will the Council ensure that the Serb zone of Orahovac does not ultimately meet a fate similar to that of the safe haven of Srebrenica, with the Dutch troops stationed there proving incapable of preventing the ethnic group which dominates the surrounding area from seizing the zone, after which its population would be forced to leave or even killed?

4. How will the Council ensure that all residents of the Serb zone of Orahovac and other isolated areas who for safety reasons decide of their own volition to leave their present area of residence permanently and move to areas which are under the control of the Government of Serbia or Montenegro or possibly, after reaching agreement on the subject with the Albanian majority, to the area to the north of the town of Kosovska Mitrovica, which has a long-standing Serb majority and borders on Serbia?

Reply

(25 May 2000)

The Council remains seriously preoccupied by the situation of the Serbs and of other ethnic and religious minorities in Kosovo and is appalled by the continuing high level of interethnic violence. The renewed outbreak of hostilities in Mitrovica is just the latest example of how difficult it is to overcome the hatred and distrust built up during decades. This situation could easily have serious repercussions in other cities in Kosovo, including Orahovac.

The Council has repeatedly expressed its commitment to the objective of a democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo in accordance with UNSCR 1244, including the unhindered and safe return of all refugees. UNSCR 1244 in all its aspects thus remains the basis for EU policy. The Council has furthermore reiterated on numerous occasions its strong condemnation of all acts of violence, harassment and intolerance and has made it clear to the Kosovo leadership that EU assistance would depend on credible efforts towards interethnic reconciliation.

The Honourable Member is certainly aware of the fact that the Council has not a direct role in the security side of implementation of UNSCR 1244: to this end and on the basis of a UN mandate, NATO has established a 50 000 troops security presence in the region. This force (KFOR) was created precisely to ensure a safe environment and security of minorities, in order to encourage the return of all refugees and displaced persons in the region. EU countries are currently providing 80 % of KFOR, and involved Member States have recently decided to increase their contingents.

To help combat interethnic violence and to create a secure environment necessary to keep the non-Albanian Kosovars from leaving the province and to motivate those who have already left to return, the EU is also supporting UNMIK's efforts in building up the Kosovo Civilian Police force. In response to appeals by Mr Kouchner and by SG/HR Solana, Member States have made, in March 2000, extraordinary efforts in order to strengthen UNMIK police force with 320 extra policemen.

Taking into account the extremely difficult situation under which KFOR and the UN civil police have to operate, the Council feels that they have already achieved very substantial progress towards the aims spelled out in UNSCR 1244.

In order to deal with the current situation in Kosovo, the Council has also been giving strong support to the establishment of the UN administration (UNMIK) by contributing to its budget and by fully taking charge of UNMIK's Fourth Pillar which deals with reconstruction and economic rehabilitation.

The Council also supports the decision by UNSG Special Representative Kouchner to set up a Joint Interim Administrative Council which should involve all ethnic groups progressively in the administration of Kosovo. So far, the Kosovo Serbs have refused to participate in this and other similar bodies. The EU has called on the Kosovo Serbs to re-consider their boycott in order to contribute to building a multi-ethnic Kosovo and securing a place for themselves in the emerging administrative structures.