No Transfer of Jurisdiction from UN to EU
Kosovo Serb students still marching: 11th day of protests against unilateral declaration by Pristina separatists, starting at 12:44 p.m. every day. Feb. 28, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia
UN Confirms: No Transfer of Jurisdiction to EU
According to Tanjug, UNMIK will continue its mission in southern Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia until UN Security Council decides otherwise, it was confirmed in New York.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Brendan Varma spoke to the BBC tonight to deny the would-be EU mission representative Pieter Feith's claim that “the transfer of jurisdiction from UNMIK to EULEX has begun.”
"At this point the UN mission has not entered any transition period. We are still on the ground, as we have been since 1999. UNMIK will perform the duties entrusted to it with Resolution 1244, until UN Security Council decided otherwise," Varma specified.
Both Russia and Serbia are opposed to the illegal EU mission (EULEX), which the Union insists on deploying without the UN Security Council or Serbia's approval.
Only UN SC Can Decide to End Its Mission
Varma also reminded that only the UN Security Council can make a decision to end UNMIK's mandate in the province.
"We would of course welcome agreement on this problem, but the Council is at the moment deeply divided. The secretary-general's position is that our mission will continue in Kosovo until the Council tells them to stop," he said, and added UNMIK was a "unique mission precisely because its mandate has no determined deadline".
Since Feb. 17, Kosovo Serb students have created an event out of each day of protests: yesterday, they held a mock-football game between the Serbs and Western states, the day before a rock concert, the day before that a drama, earlier they made a "Pandora's box" they handed to the UN policemen... today they painted in protest. Feb. 28, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia
"The Security Council decides on the end of this mission – in other words, we will have to wait for its signal," Varma repeated.
As for Joachim Ruecker, UNMIK's chief in Kosovo-Metohia province, he has been told to continue with his job and do everything to ensure stability in the province, according to Ban's spokesman.
Russia will preside over the UN Security Council in March, and it will put together the agenda, it has been confirmed. Whether and in what format the crisis surrounding Serbian province will be discussed, is up to Moscow.
Varma also denied that Ban had sent a letter to Brussels to officially inform the EU about the division in the Security Council concerning the legality of EULEX.
At the same time, the BBC quotes its sources on the East River who said the EU is "persistently asking the secretary-general to personally approve UNMIK's replacement with EULEX".
Azerbaijan Withdraws Troops from Kosovo Province
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has requested the parliament to vote on withdrawal of the country's troops from Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohia, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov stated on Thursday.
According to Tanjug, Azerbaijan Parliament is expected to vote on the issue on March 4 and to back the president's proposal.
"Game Over" collage by a Kosovo Serb student (L-R) Solana, Thaci, Bush, Haradinaj. Feb. 28, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia
Azimov said that the recent unilateral declaration of independence by Pristina separatists had "drastically altered the political scene", which Azerbaijan does not wish to be a part of. Azerbaijan is among the countries vehemently opposed to the imposed dismemberment of Serbia.
Kosovo Serb Officers Quit Province's Police Force
According to RTS, some 200 of the province force's Serbs have either quit or not shown up for work since the Feb. 17 unilateral declaration by Pristina separatists. Dozens of others have announced to follow suit.
The Kosovo-Metohia police service was formed by the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and has, up until mid-February, been touted as "the only institution in which real cooperation existed between Serbs and Albanians" in the southern Serbian province.
However, since the unilateral declaration of independence by Pristina separatists on Feb. 17, Serb policemen have requested to be transferred under the direct command of UNMIK, instead of that of the "Kosovo police", because of their disagreement with the arrival of the illegal EU mission and the implicit violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
Recommended: A system to enforce imperial power will only be resisted, by Seumas Milne (Guardian, CiF); Kosovo: A Crying Shame, by Shelley Rubin (Jewish Defense League); Welcome to Kosovo! The World's Newest Narco State, by Marc Parent; Kosovo: Fools Rush In, by William S. Lind (AntiWar.com); New U.S. President Will Be Anti-Serb [LiveLeak.com video clip, removed from YouTube], by Chaim Ben Pesach (Jewish Task Force, JTF.org)
Comments
Azerbaijan is afraid that Nagorno-Karabakh will follow the Kosovo example and declare independence. Armenians are conflicted, knowing that the Kosovo declaration with EU and US support is a violation of UN 1244 and other agreements, and Armenians are sympathetic with the Serbs. The two situations are very similar. Albanians have used deceit, ethnic cleansing and mass murder to seize Kosovo. Azerbaijan used deceit to get Stalin to gift the Armenian provinces Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan to them, and in the 1990's ethnic cleansing and mass murder.
Kosovo is Serbian. Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhchivan are Armenian.
Posted by: arius![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.byzantinesacredart.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 28, 2008 10:05 PM
Ive just had a browse of the liveleak video of Chaim Ben Pesach. This fellow may be on the side of the serbs; but his rant against muslims, with in his views muslims seeking to destroy america was the worst sort of islamophobic rhetoric. It does not serve Serbian interests, but it can end up creating more hatred of muslism. Beware that the serb cause is not used by others to endorse their own brand of ethnic cleansing. Ive seen that done by Jared Israel,and now its being done by Chaim Ben Pesach.
Be Warned
Posted by: brian | February 29, 2008 06:09 PM
On the subject of Chaim and his rant, you may like to look at some of the recent entries in Deserbtpeaces excellent blog. The palestinians have a lot in common with the serbians.
Posted by: brian | February 29, 2008 06:14 PM