Saturday, October 22, 2011

This week in the news:

Serbia

Serbia does not effectively control the administrative crossing between Kosovo and Serbia as reported by the European Commission, while an insufficient number of cases are filed against the organized crime. While Serbia has established an institutional framework in the field of justice, freedom and security, Belgrade so far has not implemented these rules nor has the government increased its capacity to further cooperation between the relevant institutions to successfully carry them out. Serbia must undertake greater measurements in policies that deal with migration, border control, the fight against organized crime, drug and human trafficking, money laundering and terrorism while reforming its police, judicial and customs cooperation. Though Serbia has established a framework under which to combat drug trafficking, the area is still the major route across which drugs are smuggled. Between August 2010 and September 2011, 1.9 tons of drugs were seized in Serbia; that is an increase in 0.7 tons from the previous year. Porous borders between BiH, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia are in part adding to setbacks regarding the fight against human and drug trafficking. In addition, lack of adequate databases and information exchange is hindering progress.

Regarding Sandžak policies, the president of the Executive Council of the Bosniak National Council (BNV) Džužević Esad stated that it was high time the government convened the inaugural session of the state council on the basis of elections held last year. Doing so, according to Esad, was the only way of overcoming the power vacuum in the region adding that further neglect would be detrimental to the state as well as to Bosniaks. At a news conference held last week, he maintained that the government is playing a “dirty game” as the failure to recognize any council presented the state with an alibi of ignoring or blocking Bosniak rights under the laws of the constitution. The government does not recognize the current BNV’s structure not does it wish to form a new one yet does not call for new elections either. This bestows the state with a comfortable position as the government can prevent the BNV from exercising its rights guaranteed by the constitution.

“Džužić: Prljave igre sa pravima Bošnjaka”. SandzakNews. accessed October 22, 2011. www.sandzaknews.com/vjesti/drustvo/422-dzuzevic:-prljave-igre-sa-pravima-Bosnjaka.html

“EK: Unaprediti kontrolu administrativne linije”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed October 17, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/166457.html

Serbia and Kosovo

A meeting was held on the 18th of October near the barricades by Jagnjenica near the village of Zupča where the first KFOR convoys arrived so as to remove the barricades by the administrative crossings. Discussions were held between Slaviša Ristić, major of Zubin Potok, KFOR lieutenant Klaus Hunger and other representatives of the local government. The meeting was held in light of the KFOR posed ultimatum by which barricades were to be removed this week. Upon the convoy’s arrival, Ivica Dačić, deputy prime minister and minister for the interior, appealed to Serbian citizens not to confront KFOR troops while simultaneously cautioning KFOR forces not to apply force as the barricades “were not created by criminals”. Oliver Ivanović, state secretary for Kosovo and Metohia (KiM), instead proposed to find a solution through diplomatic channels. Jelena Trivan, vice president for the Democratic Party (DS), stated that the fact that KFOR has not removed the barricades in addition to having extended the timely ultimatum shows that the Serb leadership is doing its job. Trivan pointed toward discussions held between Serbia, Brussels Washington and NATO adding that the Serbian leadership is seeking to find a solution for the problems in northern Kosovo.

On October 20th, however, KFOR and EULEX forces again planned on removing the Brnjak barricades having replaced them with checkpoints for vehicles. KFOR troops stretched out barbed wire were Serb citizens had earlier stopped a KFOR convoy and set up barricades near the Brnjak crossing. In response, Serb citizens from Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvečana and Leposavica travelled by bus and private vehicles so as to join the protestors in Zubče and Jagnjenica. When KFOR soldiers attempted to remove the barricades, soldiers “repeatedly” fired teargas thereby “easily” wounding more than 20 people while an additional eight KFOR soldiers were injured. As of October 20th, KFOR soldiers were about 300 meters from the barricades were “dozens” of demonstrators have gathered thus far.

The parties present at this week’s meeting agreed upon the following six points:

1) That UNMIK forces be activated in place of KFOR troops

2) That dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia be returned to the UN Security Council

3) That Serbian military and police forces return to northern Kosovo

4) That barricades remain in place in northern Kosovo under the guise of KFOR troops

5) Refusal of agreements reached so far between Priština and Serbia (that Kosovo remain a vital part of Serbia including that decisions made by the public authorities of Serbia be executed in KiM)

6) To remove the cause leading to the erection of the barricades, meaning the Kosovar boarder control

The results hailed at the meeting are, however, according to head of Belgrade’s negotiation team for Kosovo Borislav Stefanović, unrealistic and an unpleasant surprise for Serbian authorities as well as for individuals in the international community. The demands made are driven by political interest maintained Stefanović adding that the outcome reflects the interests of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Instead of swapping international missions, the minister said, one should think about as to how to facilitate supplies for KFOR troops which in turn would lower tensions on the Jarinje and Brnjak border. Stevanović also questioned the preposition by which further dialogue was to be held under the guise of the UN Security Council as Serbia had agreed to EU mandates which in turn have been adopted by the General Assembly reminding that these are binding. In any case, there are too many states that have recognized Kosovo’s independence as of yet in addition to the fact that the Security Council is divided regarding the question on Kosovo. Stefanović, however, agreed that all decisions taken by Serb authorities ought to be binding for northern Kosovo as well as for the rest thereof.

“Zahtevi kosovskih Srba uglavnom neostvarivi”. Politika Online. accessed October 21, 2011. www.politika.rs/rubrike/Politika/Zahtevi-kosovskih-Srba-uglavnom-neostvariv.lt.html

“Kfor se vratio u bazu, Srbi nude ograničeno kretanje”. Politika Online. accessed October 19, 2011. www.politika.rs/rubrike/Politika/Kfor-se-vratio-u-bazu-Srbi-nude-ograniceno-kretanje.lt.html

“Kfor na barikadi u Zubču”. B92. accessed October 18, 2011. www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2011&mm=10&dd=18&nav_id=550340

“Kfor se vratio na bazu, akcija odložena za sutra”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed October 18, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/166535.html

“Jelena Trivan: Na putu smo rešenja za sever Kosova”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed October 18, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/166510.html

“KFOR ukljana barikade”. B92. accessed October 20, 2011. www.b92.net/info/vesti/index/php/?yyyy=2011&mm=10&dd-20&nav_id=550932

Sandžak

SandžakNews reported about the general irritation that ensued throughout the Sandžak area following Mufti Muamer Zukorlić’s and head of Sebia’s Progressive Party Tomislav Nikolić’s meeting last week. According to the article, the news came as a shock to general population most of whom do not understand the Zukorlić – Nikolić coalition as the Sandžak population does not wish to cooperate with radicals. Nikolić is the successor to Vojslav Šešelj who is indicted by the ICTY for war crimes committed during the war in Bosnia.

Regarding Zukorlić’s earlier call for Bosniaks to boycott the population census, the online paper reported in the minister for labour and social policy and head of the Social Democratic Party (SDPS) Rasim Ljacjić’s words that the Mufti’s call to so ended as a fiasco. By the first four hours, according the Ljajić, it was becoming clear that the majority of Bosniaks were going to show up for the census thus proving that the population was politically mature. As for Zukorlić, the Mufti explained that his call for the boycott was a reaction to the Serbian regime. The census, according to Zukorlić, is likely to be falsified with or without citizen’s participation. The difference between those choosing to boycott, however, lies therein whether or not Bosniaks chose to partake in the process of falsification.

“Ljajić: Bojkot doživeo fijasko, Zukorlić: Popis će falsifikovati”. SandzakNews. accessed October 22, 2011. www.sandzaknews.com/vjesti/drustvo/4203-ljajic:-bojkot-doziveo-fijasko-,-Zukorlic:-popis-ce-falsifikovati.html

“Sandžak ljut zbog zbližavanja Nikolića I Zukorlića”. SandzakNews. accessed October 22, 2011. www.sandzaknews.com/kolumna/65-sandzak-ljut-zblizavanja-Nikolica-I-Zukorlica.html

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