Over the last few days, we have announced and been working intensively to organize a protest meeting in “Mehë Uka” Square in Mitrovica, at 13:00 on Saturday March 30.

We have invited the citizens of Mitrovica to come to this protest meeting, as well as other citizens of Kosovo, to unite and join together in raising our voices against the injustice which is occurring in the negotiations, or dialogue, between Kosovo and Serbia. This is necessary because we believe that the only language the Kosovo Government and international community understands, is the language of the people and citizens when they unite to protest about issues which are unjust and contrary to their interests.

Edita Tahiri said that the footnote would melt quickly, but instead that footnote has frozen and become like a block of ice that is now used by institutions that before recognized Kosovo; similarly, that barricade in Mitrovica is not being lifted, and instead, it seems that this agreement will just reinforce it. This does not refer to a physical wall, but that being created through an autonomous entity with Serb majority municipalities and other parts of Kosovo. This will make the state of Kosovo dysfunctional and will create a second Bosnia.

When a year and a half ago, Prime Minister Thaçi said that he would not engage in political dialogue about Kosovo’s internal affairs, precisely the opposite took place. When he, and the President, said that the north was not up for discussion, three days later, Baroness Ashton said that these negotiations would be about the north. We have now reached a phase when on April 2, a decision will be taken about the north of Kosovo.

For 13 years, the north of Kosovo has suffered from the absence of Kosovo’s institutions, and from the rule of law. The governments in Kosovo have changed, but their approach has remained the same: a constant negligence and avoidance of responsibility. As a result of this policy, the north has been deliberately left to Serbia. This has enabled Serbia to build a network of state structures there that are controlled politically and financed by Belgrade. Serbia’s structures there control various fields of life, from security to administration.

Now, the Kosovo Government is three days away from an anticipated agreement on the north. This Government is responsible for its own irresponsibility in involving Serbia in making a decision about part of the territory of our country. If our leaders were to deal with Kosovo’s sovereignty, instead of rushing to be corrupted, we wouldn’t be negotiating today. We are paying with money and territory, and with statehood, for the corruption of our government.

The Association of Serb Municipalities, which it has been announced will be created within Kosovo, is the start of autonomy of the north. Ahtisaari created new Serb municipalities. Now through this Association of Municipalities, these Serb municipalities will unite in one body. The capital of this ethnic body will be the north of Kosovo which will be largely under Serbia’s control. This means that the Ahtisaari municipalities will join the north. Up to now, because of the extreme lack of transparency of the Government in this process, all that we know of is an EU plan that the parties are discussing. This plan contains 8 points. The majority of these points represent an opportunity for Serbia to project autonomy for the north of Kosovo.

The first point establishes an Association and gives it an ethnic character;

The second point gives the Association autonomy, because no one can dissolve it. This Association is above the Assembly and the Government, above the state, above the Republic of Kosovo. No one but it can only dissolve it;

The fourth point gives the Association the opportunity to share competences with municipalities;

The fifth point gives the Association ‘comprehensive strategic control’. Strategic issues belong to the state and not to Associations. Furthermore, an ethnic Association will be dominated by Serbia;

The sixth point gives the Association the possibility of additional competences. This makes the Association even more problematic when it is known well that some of the Ahtisaari municipalities have more competences than others;

The seventh point states that the Association represents the Serb community. For 13 years in a row they have constantly talked to us about multi-ethnicity. Now, they are creating an institution that will represent Serbs. This makes Serbs a community bound by a political body, linked to Belgrade and which will present constant demands to Prishtina. This provides Serbia with a perfect opportunity to achieve its hegemonic aspirations, to alienate the Serb population in this Association from the Republic of Kosovo and its majority Albanian population;

The eighth point excludes the state of Kosovo from organizing elections in the north. The institutions of the Association will derive therefore from a process which is foreign to Kosovo. In this manner, a special region will be created in the north, which does not recognize the state of Kosovo and the Kosovo Government is agreeing with this non-recognition.

Autonomy has three elements, that of territory, finance and executive power. The territory has now been defined because the association has been created and they have made a deal. This territory is defined as 10 Serb municipalities and their territories. The financing has been defined through the Development Fund for the North. They’ve also agreed about this. Now, the only issue remaining for April 2 is executive power. This is the most important issue and this is why we must protest.

It is because a part of our country is being threatened with the legalization of Serb autonomy, that we are calling all citizens of Kosovo, and Albanians where ever they are, to unite in Mitrovica.

With this protest meeting, we want to demonstrate to Baroness Ashton, the Serb party, and the Kosovo Government that the agreement reached on April 2, will be Hashim Thaçi’s agreement, and not in any way an acceptable agreement for the Republic of Kosovo, for Kosovo’s citizens, and especially not for Lëvizja VETËVENDOSJE! Thus, we call on you once again, to come tomorrow to “Mehë Uka” Square in Mitrovica, to unite in a peaceful protest meeting, where we will express our voice of protest against what is happening and what is expected to happen on April 2, in Brussels.

Kosovo’s citizens must not think that there will be a Kosovo with a divided Mitrovica. Without a united Mitrovica, there can be no united Kosovo.

Lesen Sie auch die Serie: Quo vadis Kosovo

Kadri Veseli und die neu gewonnene Ehre der Männer aus den Bergen

Transatlantische Allianz, alte Intrigen 2012 - Analyse von Norbert Gisder

Die Serie über den Kosovo - mit Strahlkraft auf den gesamten Balkan, bisher traditionell das Pulverfass Europas - wird fortgesetzt.

Mehr Kosovo

Mehr Länder in GT

Mehr über die Bundeswehr

Mehr Gesellschaft