The serbs in Kosovo

Barricades in the Minds

AIM Pristina, 29 September, 1999

Until a few months ago, Gracanica was known only for the monastery which was for decades visited by various excursions of students, tourists and indviduals. Nowadays, the road between Pristina and Gnjilane which leads through Gracanica, is blocked by a pile of used car tyres. Only a vehicle here and there which belongs to international organisation is allowed to pass. On the barricades are Serb peasants who are there on watch for several weeks already, drinking bear in front of the local store.

They say that they are the "frontline of defence of Gracanica" which is not considered to be just a suburb of Pristina but the centre of the small "Serb enclave" formed of 30 thousand inhabitants from the surrounding ten odd villages. This is the picture of despair and hopelessness of Kosovo Serbs concentrated in this part of Kosovo who have chosen self-isolation for fear, as they say, of radical Albanians from their surroundings.

Four inhabitants of this village have disappeared since the arrival of KFOR peace forces and their destiny is a complete mystery. Many villagers have gone to Serbia and just very few have returned. Nevertheless, officials of UNMIK and even KFOR claim that the level of violence is going down.

Fear is not the only reason for departure of the Serbs. Nowadays, almost none of the inhabitants of Gracanica who were mostly employed in state-owned enterprises, have a job. Only a small group of health workers actually work in the local out-patient clinic which has owing to circumstances developed into an improvised health centre. But, they too are faced with a problem: there is a shortage of drugs, especially those for specific diseases. A small quantity is provided in cooperation with UNHCR or the international Red Cross, but this can be said to be just a bare minimum. The unemployed spend their "free" time in cafes which are quite numerous or go from one gathering to another organised by activists of the Socialist Party of Serbia which is very influential in all parts of Kosovo where the Serbs are concentrated - Gracanica inclusive. Although it is difficult to say what the real reason for this is, it should not be ruled out that it is purely financial. The Socialists are the only "source" who provide their minimum "salaries" which they receive through illegal channels from the state cashbox of Serbia. As announced a few times, such salaries are ensured until the end of December. And what will happen then?!

Nevertheless, many Serbs in Gracanica still listen to radio programs of Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) or read daily Politika. In Gracanica and other parts of Kosovo where Serb population is concentrated, it is distributed free of charge. That is the reason for their refusal to accept the actual situation in Kosovo. They think that it is just "temporary".

"You will see, my friend, when general Pavkovic enters with our army and militia after 19 September (deadline for demilitarisation of KLA), the Shiptari (ethnic Albanians) will just disperse. They will be jumping down from the third floor even". This is a part of a conversation between two friends in a cafe in Gracanica. But, 19 September has been and gone, and "by some miracle", nothing has come out of "big promises" given abundantly via RTS.

Somebody may say that it is more difficult to remove the barricades in the minds of these Serb farmers than those on the road. On the other hand, citizens of Gracanica are accusing the international civil administration of being responsible for their own position and that of members of their ethnic group. They claim that discrimination which has begun after the arrival of KFOR and return of ethnic Albanians to Kosovo is passed over in silence. For instance, city transportation to Gracanica has been interrupted because Albanian drivers do not wish to drive the Serbs. For the same reason other municipal services do not operate either. Telephone lines are completely cut, and supplying of stores with various goods has been interrupted. And so have all business contacts with the Albanians in the surroundings.

Winter is coming. It is difficult to provide firewood because the villagers do not dare go into the forest. The last one who dared do it, Milivoje Popovic, was kidnapped. Electric power voltage is low so that it sometimes cannot move even a motor of a simple casette player from a standstill.

The only connections with the world are taking place at the Gracanica monastery lodgings where "live" meetings and talks with representatives of UNMIK and KFOR are taking place every day. They are organised by members of the Church and People's Assembly: episcope of Russia and Prizren Artemije and the monks in cooperation with the Serb Resistance Movement and member of the Transitional Council of Kosovo Momcilo Trajkovic who belong to a different political trend in Gracanica. They do not enjoy support of the local inhabitants - because of their oppositionist stands in relation to the regime in Serbia, but their contacts with the international civil and military administration are regular. They believe that in such contacts it is possible to resolve, if not global questions, certainly local problems of great significance for the life of the Serbs not only in Gracanica.

In the gap between various trends, violence in the surroundings and financial uncertainty, inhabitants of Gracanica have done the only thing they knew how. They set up barricades which they will sooner or later have to lift. The only question is when will they get rid of the barricades in their minds?!

AIM Pristina

Milan Jokic