Panelists of a conference on missing persons that took place in Pristina today, organised by the Missing Persons Resource Centre, made calls for the issue of missing persons not being politicised and be treated with priority.
The outgoing British Ambassador, Ruairi O’Connell, said the governments in the Balkans pledged at the London summit not to misuse this issue for political gains. “It is important for the governments of Kosovo and Serbia not to forget the pledge at the London Summit and not politicise this issue but make sure every individual is treated equally,” O’Connell said.
The U.S. Ambassador, Philip Kosnett, called on political parties to take steps towards determining the fate of missing persons. “As elections in Serbia and Kosovo are close, I encourage parties and candidates to use the opportunity to tell the voters what steps they plan to take to resolve the cases of missing persons. Seeking justice for victims of the past is to lay the foundations for peace in the future,” he said.
Bajram Qerkinaj, co-founder of the Missing Persons Resource Centre, said Kosovo-Serbia dialogue cannot move forward without addressing the issue of missing persons. “Determining the fate of missing persons is not being treated seriously, he said.
At the same time, Milorar Trifunovic, co-founder of the Missing Persons Resource Centre, said politicians have shown little interest in tackling the issue of missing persons. “We will not stop until we find the last person,” he said.
The event was organised to mark 30 August, the International Day of the Disappeared.
