SERBIAN AND ALBANIAN DEAD END

Who is behind terrorism?

AIM Pristina, 17 January, 1997

The attempt on the life of Radivoje Papovic, President of the Serbian University in Pristina, made by the activation of explosive at the moment his car drove by a parked car-bomb, while his driver Nikola Lalic suffered minor injuries, as well as 60 shots fired at the car of Zenun Durmashi, from the commune of Srbica, a day later, killing him on the spot, represent the fourth armed attack in Kosovo since the beginning of this year.

First coordinated armed attacks were registered in Kosovo in February last year. As it is known, the targets were facilities accommodating Serbian refugees from Croatia. In spring, a series of attacks was made against Serbian civilians, members of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) of Serbia and on their buildings in Kosovo. At that time several Albanian civilians were also killed or wounded, probably in a fury of revenge. Since the last fall the most striking were the attempts on the so called honest and loyal Albanians, who have more or less openly collaborated with the Serbian authorities which the Albanians consider the occupying authorities.

Although there were some suspect cases before, September could be considered the beginning of their planned elimination. At that time Qazim Bajgora, the MUP inspector from Podujevo was killed near his house. The actions became more frequent late last year. Faik Belopoja from Besinje, near Pristina, was killed on December 26, last year, and on January 9, this year an attempt was made on the life of Maliq Sheholi, who was well known as a Serbian political activist. Fazli Hasani was killed in the middle of the market place in Srbica on January 13. In contrast to Bajgora and Sheholi, being "honest" Albanians Belopoja and Hasani were, as it seems, known only in their neighbourhood.

In the meantime, on October 25, a police inspector Milos Nikolic and a communal clerk were killed in Podujevo. That is why the possibility is not completely ruled out that the attempt on the life of the President of Serbian University in Pristina is but a continuation of this tide, but with an obvious novelty in the manner of operation which might signify a "new quality" in the technical sense and indicate men in high places as a new target.

So far unknown organization, calling itself the Liberating Army of Kosovo (OVK), assumed responsibility for almost all the attacks made before the attempt on Papovic's life. After the murder of Maliq Sheholi on January 12, it made a public announcement, inter alia, stating the following: "This execution is a warning to all collaborators of the enemy and national traitors, particularly those who, allegedly under the pressure of international centers, are bargaining the signing of an agreement with the occupying authorities contrary to the interests of the nation. We once again call the Serbian occupiers to withdraw their military-police units from Kosovo before it is too late. If not, our actions will be expanded and become more fatal both for you and your collaborators"...Just a few months ago this organization, whose existence no one can confirm for sure, in its text to some Pristina and foreign editorial offices, threatened that it will "come knocking on the doors of some Albanians too"...

It is interesting that apart from these statements there are no other documents nor information in Kosovo on the existence and operation of the so called "Liberation Army of Kosovo"(OVK). However, no one here rules out a possibility that some similar organization might exist, but claims that it is active among the Albanians abroad. Several months ago one of such organizations rejected any connections with the attacks in Kosovo, while another allowed the possibility that the OVK might exist and operate, but refused to admit whether the OVK was one of its armed wings.

Leader of the Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova has repeatedly expressed doubts as to the existence of such an armed organization assessing that such acts are imputed to the Albanians so as to discredit their movement of non-violent resistance. At his last press conference, commenting on the attack on Papovic, the leader of Kosovo Albanians said that "although such cases have not been solved, the Serbian propaganda is laying the blame on the Albanians accusing them of terrorism.

This is an old label and such provocations are made with the aim of instilling fear and increasing insecurity in Kosovo so as to start the circle of violence which could end in a conflict," commented Rugova condemning the latest violent acts. He also added that "the Serbian regime has no collaborators in Kosovo, that such could be counted on the fingers of one hand, while the thesis on collaboration is used so as to create even greater insecurity in Kosovo". His Vice-President Hydajet Hiseni stated for the AIM: "We in Kosovo have no precise information whether there is actually such an organization. We are aspiring towards democratic and free Kosovo for all and are endeavouring to realize this without violence. Coming from either side violence only breeds violence and blocks the problem, and that is not what we want".

The Albanian public is convinced that various armed Serbian formations and even state secret services are in this way framing up the Albanians in order to keep up the tension in Kosovo so that it could be used in inter-Serbian and other conflicts. Rare are those who do not rule out the possibility that the Albanians are perpetrators of these acts, under the assumption that this might be the only possible form of resistance under the present conditions. It is, however, considered that unless this is stopped, which is only possible by means of a political solution, it would be realistic to expect further escalation of dangerous proportions, and even war.

In that connection, interesting is the opinion of Adem Demaqi given in an interview to the Albanian magazine "ZERI" last December after his active party engagement in the Parliamentary Party of Kosovo. At that time Demaqi estimated that the Albanian hitherto policy of passive waiting opened the way to extremism, radicalism and processes which lead to a situation which might get out of control. Therefore, thought Demaqi, it was necessary to channel the accumulated energy towards organized and active non-violent resistance. Demaqi did not rule out the possibility that the perpetrators of armed attacks could be Albanians, but said that they had to be stopped by the activation of a broad popular resistance with non-violent means, said Demaqi.

On the other hand, it is universally accepted among the Kosovo Albanians that the Serbian authorities are the ones who have created legal and every other type of chaos in Kosovo and for years have been implementing state terror over the Albanians. If the latest terror is of the Albanian origin, then it could be considered that the first circle of violence has been closed, while the next could only be worse.

All in all, both the Serbs and the Albanians think it incredulous that such numerous armed formations of the military, police, collaborators and informers, practically covering every corner of Kosovo, have not been able till now to bring to justice someone who would answer for these crimes.

Unconvincing accusations were also mentioned against a group of some 15 Albanians from Srbica, Vucitrn and Kosovska Mitrovica (only three of them are in detention, while the others are still at large) accused in late September and early October last year, which only justified the scepticism about Serbian accusations that the Albanians were the perpetrators of armed attacks organized this and last year in Kosovo.

It seems that the accusations were not convincing enough even for the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Elisabeth Rehn. Late last year she visited Kosovo and said to journalists that there was no proof on the existence of organized terrorism in Kosovo. And again, a few days ago, Rehn's answer to practically the same question of Pristina journalists was differently formulated, but essentially she said that she was given no proof to that effect, i.e. that she had no information on the basis of which it would be possible to clearly speak on the origin of the perpetrator of armed attacks. However, when she expressed her concern over the attempt on Papovic's life to Margit Savovic, Federal Minister for Human and Minority Rights, she was asked to point to the existence of "terrorism in Kosovo and Metohija" in her Report to the UN Commission. In that context, the Kosovo analysts have been warning for some time now that the Serbian authorities will use these acts to proclaim the Kosovo Albanians terrorists, bearing in mind the fact that the whole world has most severely condemned terrorism.

Serbian organizations repeated their accusations against the Albanians after the attempt made on Papovic's life. The harshest were the political twins - the SPS and the JUL - who demanded that all instruments of the so called state of law be applied so as to apprehend the culprits and bring them to justice. Such calls in the form of a campaign indirectly suggest the taking of measures of general persecution and the exertion of pressure on the Albanians. Radivoje Papovic himself advocated such a policy all these years and it is precisely this policy, which was pursued at the level of former SFRY, that caused the horrible war, and created the today's dead end in Kosovo. Thus, apart from protest gatherings, Faculties of the Serbian University are planning to hold these days, a peaceful demonstration outside university facilities demanding the freezing of all university activities and suspension of examinations. A careful observer could not miss various analyses of the American analysts which do not rule out the possibility that Slobodan Milosevic, under the pressure of domestic problems and foreign factors, might activate Serbian nationalism in Kosovo. But, such a scenario has already been tested.

Maybe it would be more realistic to expect spreading of the wave of arrests after this attempt on Papovic's life, together with the tightening of the existing repression. But, from what could be found out, many things are not clear to the Serbian authorities either. In addition, here everything, or practically everything, always depended on the political assessments of the situation in Kosovo and broader. That will determine the measures to be undertaken by the Serbian authorities after the attempt on Papovic's life. It seems that the Serbian opposition will rather use this attack in Kosovo against the SPS. In any case, irrespective of the turn the situation might take, the Kosovo Serbs will not be safer, not to mention peace and prosperity. Anyway, the Albanians do not expect anything similar either, at least not in the near future.

Fehim REXHEPI