http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/europe/080308-kosovo-se rbia-mc
RADIO NETHERLANDS Serbian flag still flies in 'free' Kosovo By Thijs Papôt in northern Kosovo* 08-03-2008 While there has been no stream of refugees or ethnic violence since last month's unilateral declaration of independence by the ethnic Albanian government in Kosovo, the gulf between ethnic Albanians and Serbians in Kosovo is widening. Kosovo's Serbian minority has - with encouragement from Belgrade - refused to recognise new institutions created by the authorities in the capital, Pristina. "The violence is over," says Agim Hasani, mayor of the village of Cabra, just three weeks after Pristina issued a unilateral declaration of independence. He says he feels safe. One of the main reasons for this is the Danish KFOR battalion stationed at the gates of his walled village. According to Mr Hasani, "They have the situation under control." A wall painting in Kosovo (all photographs on this page: Thijs Papôt/RNW) Destroyed However, Cabra's residents might otherwise have every reason not to feel safe at all. Their ethnic Albanian enclave is in Serb-controlled northern Kosovo and was completely destroyed by Serbian forces during the 1999 Kosovo war. Mr Hasani continues, "We don't have anything to fear from the Serbs that live around us". In Cabra, Albanian flags fly from the roofs of the rebuilt houses, but in the surrounding villages the Serbian flag is flying. Cabra is an island in a part of Kosovo that wants to remain Serbian. The mayor expects that to change, "The Serbian minority will gradually recognise that Kosovo is also better for them". Always part of Serbia That moment seems a long way off, though. Law student Nemanja Jaksic says, "We will always be part of Serbia". In Northern Mitrovica, there are still daily demonstrations against Kosovo's independence. Serb protest against Kosovan independence The protest always starts at 1244 precisely, a reference to the 1999 UN resolution 1244, which said that Kosovo is part of Serbia and reaffirmed Serbian territorial integrity. This is why the Serbian population of this part of Kosovo only recognise UN authority. The European Union mission, which is scheduled to take over administrative tasks from the UN, has not yet taken up its post in the province. The EU office in Northern Mitrovica has now been closed again due to security considerations. The confused administrative situation makes it easy for the Serbian government to keep fairly tight control over the northern Kosovo, possibly pushing it towards a possible split with the rest of the country. Serbia's Telecommunications Minister Alexandra Smiljanic, on a working visit to Northern Mitrovica, says, "I'm here to inspect the situation and to discuss new investments". Several Serbian ministers have visited the area in recent days. According to Nemanja the law student, it's a good thing, "They're letting us know they're going to help and protect us now that it's necessary". Calm Belgrade has called on the Serbian minority to ignore Kosovan institutions. Serbian civil servants who remain loyal to Belgrade are being given financial rewards, sometimes amounting to twice their normal salary. Llir Dugolli, a Kosovan political scientist, expects this situation will continue in northern Kosovo for some time: "With parallel legal systems. Serbian police officers in different uniforms, maybe even local elections. The only correct reaction to this, from the local authorities as well as the international community, is calm". However, Belgrade's call is echoing in other parts of Kosovo. Around 25 percent of the Serbian police officers serving with the Kosovo police service, KPS, have turned in their weapons. This appears to seriously undermine the notion of Kosovo as a multi-ethnic state. Mr Dugolli says, "These civil servants are an extremely difficult position. Belgrade has more or less forced them to isolate themselves from their own reality while their future is within Kosovan institutions". Back to the drawing board Serbian politician Oliver Ivanovic, who lives in North Mitrovica, is unhappy about the resignation of Serbian police officers but for a different reason, "It is extremely important for Serbians police officers to stay in the KPS. It will help to prevent Serbians living in Kosovo from feeling threatened and fleeing". Mr Ivanovic says the blueprint for Kosovo's multi-ethnic administrative structure, proposed by Finnish diplomat Marti Ahtisaari, needs to go back to the drawing board. The Serbian politician, who is known as a moderate, continues: "We've never recognised the plan so how can we approve it? A compromise has to be found, and in order for that to happen, we need new political leaders, both in Belgrade and Pristina. And that will take at least five years". Belgrade divided "EU membership for both Kosovo and Serbia is the only solution," says political scientist Ilir Dugolli. However, the Serbian government is deeply divided over a possible European course. Earlier this week, the Serbian government was plunged into a fresh crisis after the anti-European Radical Party, SRS, proposed a resolution blocking talks with Brussels until the EU recognises that Kosovo is part of Serbia. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and his nationalist party ministers voted in favour of the resolution but it was defeated by the Prime Minister's coalition partners by a margin of two votes to one. The pro-European President Boris Tadic wants to keep EU and Kosovo politics separate and called the proposal, "dangerous". * RNW translation (jc/tpf)
