2004 Press Releases

Day of Hope, Day of Despair (March 24, 2004)

By Marcie Ries, Chief of Mission, U.S. Office Pristina

Today is March 24, the “Day of Hope” as President Rugova declared this date to be last year on the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the NATO bombing campaign to free Kosovo from the tyranny of the Milosevic regime and to stop ethnic cleansing. However, as I look around Kosovo at the dozens of burned homes and churches, and see residents of Kosovo camped out in temporary shelters because they were driven out of their homes, I cannot help but feel that in some ways this is a "Day of Despair."

How could this be? On this, the fifth anniversary, I would like for all of us to stop and think about how far we have come over the past five years and where we have to go from here.
Had this date been celebrated just ten days ago, I would have written a glowing editorial hailing the progress that has been made in achieving the Standards for Kosovo. I would have pointed out how KFOR was able to reduce its troop numbers in Kosovo because the security situation had improved so much. I would also have pointed to the increase in returns of displaced people to their homes as a concrete sign of progress and good will by the people and institutions of Kosovo. I would have written how UNMIK and the PISG are working together more effectively. Such an editorial would have been a pleasure to write because we had so much to be proud of only ten short days ago.

Now, however, as I pen these words, I see the faces of both old and young, men and women, and even little children, living in collective centers, driven out of their homes by raging mobs of young men. These victims are Serbs, Ashkalli, and members of other communities, all fellow Kosovars who have done nothing to deserve these attacks. I remember the burned houses I visited in Lipljan and Caglavica and the photos of burned churches in Devic and Prizren. Somehow it all looks so familiar -- because not long ago I remember seeing the faces of old and young Albanian men and women, and little children with dried tears staining their faces, burned houses and mosques, and entire families driven out of their homes by armed groups, the families huddling together in wagons pulled by tractors, fleeing for safety across the border or into other regions of their homeland.

Five years ago, my country and our NATO partners undertook strong military action to end the violence in Kosovo. We all saw the scenes on CNN of trainloads and wagonloads and carloads of people fleeing their burning homes as organized groups sought to create an ethnically pure state. We were resolved to stop that and never let it happen again.
All of us in the U.S. Office want to celebrate this fifth anniversary of the "Day of Hope," but we cannot. Based on what we have seen over the past few days, we simply cannot join in any celebrations.

I was shocked to see "UCK" and "Death to Serbs" scrawled across the wall of a burned church. I was horrified to hear another American tell me about a mob of young, masked Albanian men marching down Mother Teresa Street chanting, "UCK! UCK!," as they headed toward the Serbian Church in Taxhlixhe to burn it to the ground. It is time for former UCK leaders throughout Kosovo, together with other Kosovar leaders, whether they hold high offices in the PISG or political parties, hold local positions in municipalities, run local businesses, or administer NGOs that represent UCK veterans, handicapped veterans, or family members of those UCK members who died in the war, to stand up now -- in public -- and unconditionally condemn this violence and work in their communities and throughout Kosovo to repair the damage that has been done.

All the leaders of Kosovo, from all parties, must take real, immediate steps to reach out to their fellow citizens, whatever their ethnicity and religion, and show that they want them to be a part of this society. They must show them that they truly regret what happened last week, that what happened was wrong, and that they are committed to working with all of Kosovo’s communities to build a democratic, multi-ethnic, civil society that is part of Europe. Every leader must use his or her best language skills -- and that includes speaking Serbian! -- to reach out to these people who have been intimidated and terrorized. Leaders of Kosovo-wide governing institutions must make it clear that they represent ALL of Kosovo and address people in their languages, when possible, in order to show that these communities are respected and accepted in the new Kosovo.

It is now up to the leaders, people, and institutions of Kosovo to restore our faith and trust in the Kosovo we worked and fought so hard to liberate from oppression. UNMIK and the PISG must work constructively together as partners and not as adversaries. Likewise, KFOR is determined to maintain a safe and secure environment in Kosovo and will use whatever force is necessary to ensure peace and safety, as shown by the increase in troop levels. Both of them are committed to holding the course in Kosovo.

It is up to you to show us you can do your part and make the "Day of Hope" a day of hope for everyone in Kosovo.