Analysis

December 02^nd 1999

Background

The war in Kosovo is not over. Since June 18th the KLA and their Albanian supporters have terrorising the Kosovar Rom in an ethnic cleansing operation that has destroyed more than 30,000 Rom homes.

In many villages and towns, all Rom homes have been destroyed. Families whose Rom ancestors arrived here as early as 1320, or Hashkalija whose oral traditions recount an even older history, have not only been made homeless, but over 150,000 have had to flee to other countries.

In order to justify these attacks, the KLA and their supports have labelled "all" Rom as having collaborated with the Serbs. Yet the evidence on the ground does not support this allegation. Although KFOR and the UN police have received many requests to detain Serbs suspected of atrocities during the war, no Rom has been mentioned in reports.

The ethnic Albanians dislike of Rom goes back many years before the war. When the Albanians first started to demonstrate back in 1969 against Serb rule in Kosovo, the Rom refused to join this demonstration. While the Albanians wanted independence, the Rom were still too far down the economic scale to think of that luxury. All they wanted were jobs and education. When they finally achieved those two things under Tito, they were so grateful they thought they were being patriotic Yugoslavians by not taking to the street. The Albanians have resented the Rom ever since.

Although over 150,000 Rom have fled Kosovo, their ancestral homeland for the past seven hundred years, there are still +/-11.000 trying desperately to stay. But despite the UN’s declaration of preparing a multi-ethnic society and the claim of NATO and KFOR to protect everyone, the results only point to a policy of genocide.

The attacks are against all Rom. No one is spared. Not the retired, not the invalids, not the blind who of course could not be labelled collaborators.

Rom today in Kosovo can not venture outside their own village without being kidnapped or killed. Rom today in Kosovo are always turned down by Albanian hospitals. Rom today in Kosovo can not attend Albanian schools. Rom today in Kosovo have lost their jobs.

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Most of west-European countries should look for solutions to integrate these expelled Rom communities from Kosovo

1. Montenegro is trying it's best to provide the refugees with medical care and social programs, but nothing seems to be planed for a long term solution which would include the integration of some +/- 30.000 Rom in the country
2. Also, after a referendum for independence, which is to be aspected during the springs 2000, Rom will be most probably "asked" to leave the country. Montenegro would become a "third country", but local authorities are very much aware of another "Shutka" ( Europe’s largest Rom-community in Skopje, Capital of Macedonia)
3. The newly built barracks in the Podgorica-camp "Kornik" will not last very long because of a lack of quality, the hygienic situation. (it is already after 14 days of use like a slum)
4. International organisations having problems with local authorities to built up save canalisation and power-supply, which depends on the fragile political situation between the ruling parties in the city-ensemble.
5. One exception is the town Niksic were Rom are treated like all other ethnical groups, and were a process of integration can be recognised.
6. Serbia, itself struggling huge social, economical and political problems will just use the Rom-refugee to get foreign aid into the country.
7. but will force them back into the Yugoslav province Kosovo,
8. Because the Rom are Yugoslav citizens, and the Province belongs still to Yugoslavia.
9. A referendum for independence for Kosovo without return would sacrifice the failure of the peacekeeping-mission.

Sunday, 05 December 1999

• Rom has been living in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo since more than 7 centuries. Because of reasons, which are mentioned in this report, the so-called "KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY", KLA, and their followers have expelled them after the arrival of Nato’s ground-troops.

• The war in Kosovo is not over

• Evictions in Kosovo have reached an administrative level.

• Examples of the radical self-styled " government" in Kosovo

• Enclaves of remaining Rom-communities

• Refugee-camps inside Kosovo (Unhcr's Krucevac failure)

• Reactions of KFOR, UNHCR and International UN-Police-Task-Force (IPTF)

• Were do they go for shelter (Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and third countries)

• Recommendations

Urgent measures,

• specifically respecting Rom-habits, have to take place instantly:

• Security-guaranties for those Rom-communities, which are still remaining inside the area of the UN-Mandate for KFOR with a 24-hour observation and guarding.
• Immediately supply with warm winter-close, better hygienic conditions, waxination-program in Macedonia
• Constant supply with aid, such as medical support, food, clothes, firewood, payment-abilities for electricity, water, trash and other payment-obligations in order to avoid a "silent-eviction" by cutting the enclaves "legally" of from the public energy-supply.

• Declared as "OTHER MINORITIES" Rom never have had a change for a real protection. And receiving aid. I heard very often these arguments: "it's difficult to race money for Gypsies" or "Just don't say we’re helping Gypsies" or "Our organisation can not help officially".

• In one of the most notorious camps I was forced out by US-UNIP. UNIP has the mandate to protect the IDP's from harassment by KLA/TMK and their followers.

• There is no change of return this year. More than 30.000 Rom homes have turned down to rubble.

• With simple words: For Rom the Province Kosovo has become a kind of concentration camp for "other minorities"

• Most of west-European countries should look for solutions to integrate this expelled Rom communities from Kosovo

• Neighbouring countries can not help them, even if they want.:

1. Montenegro is trying it's best to provide with medical care and social programs, but after a referendum for independence which is to be aspected during the springs 2000, Rom will be most probably "asked" to leave the country,
2. Serbia, itself struggling huge social, economical and political problems will just use the Rom-refugee to get foreign aid into the country, but will force them back into the Yugoslav province Kosovo,
3. Because the Rom are Yugoslav citizens, and the Province belongs still to Yugoslavia.

Photos:

Documentation

• of 48 destroyed communities since arrival of NATO, refugee camps

• "stenkovac2", Macedonia,

• "Kornik", Montenegro,

• "Krusevac", Kosovo,

• "wild camps" were refugees are living without registration in Montenegro

To order:

Theodor W. Fruendt

Photos:

Documentation

• of 48 destroyed communities since arrival of NATO,

Vucitrn / Kosovo / August 1999

Obilic / Kosovo / September 1999

Obilic 2 / Kosovo / September 1999

Plimitin / Kosovo / September 1999

Pec / Kosovo / July 1999-12-05

Urosevac (alb.= Ferizaj) / August 1999

International organisations are acting on an administrative level, witnessing the evictions without protection for Rom.

Rom on there way to neighbouring Macedonia / October 1999. (This people have been living under very bad conditions in the notorious camp "Krucevac", arranged by the Italian NGO "ICS".

KFOR-troops have had to protect they UNHCR-convoy with Rom-refugees from harassment’s by local Albanians.

Three Rom woman which found a private accommodation

in the Rom community Toplane / Skopje, October 1999

Mother and doughter in Camp "Krucevac" with little food, not heating, bad hygienic conditions, the carpet in the tent in a memory from better times.

Rom in Kosovo have had a good life, they have had houses, horses, cows and jobs.

More as 3000 are living now in Camp "Stenkovac 2" in tents

From the guerrilla-army CK, they became legalised by UNMIK to TMK. But they are very often the

same. This two are very much know in Obilic / Kosovo, October 1999

Do not even stop at the buildings:

Even the trees are enemies