HS Foreign 30.3.2004 - New policy being sought for Holkeri in Kosovo

By Annikka Mutanen in Obilic

Harri Holkeri, the head of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK), heaved a painful sigh after climbing into his armoured vehicle in the small town of Obilic, where he had been inspecting the destruction of houses belonging to the Serb minority and hearing the first-hand accounts of the residents. Disappointment in the events of the past week shone through on every step of Holkeri's visit.

In a blackened Orthodox church, standing over pieces of glass, the 67-year-old Finn became the target of an angry outburst by a bearded Serb. "You are responsible for what happened here", the man accused Holkeri.

Holkeri was most hurt by the story of how an Albanian policeman took part in the violence.

"When the dark side of the human mind comes out like this, the international community should not delude itself", Holkeri observed.

This visit was one of many

during which Holkeri has held talks with local politicians and ordered them to assume responsibility for reconstructing the houses of the Serbs. He has encouraged the Albanians to help their Serb neighbours and to restore peace so that everyone could return to their homes.

Over 3,000 Serbs all over Kosovo were forced to flee their homes last week when Albanians attacked the areas where they live.

Holkeri has also had some important visitors this week, including NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Together with Holkeri, they condemned the "criminal violence" and proclaimed that the guilty parties should not gather the impression that they achieved anything.

Holkeri has reiterated that the UN is strongly committed to its original goal: a democratic Kosovo with residents of many nationalities.

Nevertheless, the UNMIK headquarters

in downtown Pristina is currently engaged in heated discussions on what should be done differently in order to avoid losing all control over the situation.

"We need to change the strategy somehow, find something new", Holkeri mused on the way back to Pristina. "This multi-ethnicity is not working as we thought it would."

Holkeri was also prepared to admit that last week's violence was in part directed at the UN administration. The reason is that the Albanian majority is frustrated because they have waited in vain for five years for the promised independence of Kosovo.

"Different nationalistic movements feel this kind of situation is insulting", Holkeri says.

However, Holkeri maintains that any swift decisions about the national status of Kosovo are out of the question. "That would be giving in to this violence."

A couple of hundred metres away

from the UNMIK headquarters in Pristina, the head of the Kosovo project of the International Crisis Group (ICG) research institute, Alex Anderson, is pondering the same question, but he would recommend an opposite solution - and fast.

According to Anderson, the atmosphere is Kosovo is on the brink of a collapse, and could become very dangerous. "The UN must make some political move quickly."

Anderson's recommendation is to give the Albanians a promise of future sovereignty.

At the same time, the Albanian population should begin to actively promote peace, and steer clear of the influence of extremists.

The official view of the UN administration is that the majority of the violence and destruction of Serb property was planned beforehand and organised.

The start of the rioting was spontaneous, but extremists took advantage of the situation.

Anderson warns against sticking too tightly to this interpretation. He says that a moral collapse in the entire Kosovar Albanian society was witnessed last week.

Enver Hoxhai, an associate professor

of political science and history at the University of Pristina, explains that an immense frustration that had accumulated over four years was behind the violence. Part of the explosion was targeted at the UN administration, as no progress has been made during its term.

The Kosovar people still lack the hope of finding a job or a home, as well as the promise of improvements in the economy and of social development.

"At the same time Holkeri has given the impression that the UN owns this place."

Local administration has also been set up in Kosovo, but they have received no power, Hoxhai complains.

"We have supposedly learned to swim, but we are just treading water."

Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 27.3.2004