LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: ZSO suspension and request for UNESCO are not steps in right direction (Politika/Tanjug)

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council session dedicated to Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has said that violating the agreements reached in Brussels, like Pristina’s suspending the agreement on the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), is not a way in the right direction. Dacic said that the decision by the Kosovo Constitutional Court to suspend the ZSO agreement was an unprecedented case of evading agreements reached with EU-mediation, stressing that implementing the agreements reached by all parties involved was vital to successfully conducting the dialogue process. Dacic said that the crucial reason why Belgrade had signed the Brussels agreement had been a profound lack of progress in ensuring that the Serb and other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo could exercise basic human rights. Dacic warned Kosovo against misusing the Brussels dialogue, and underscored that Belgrade would like further talks, not so that Kosovo could become an independent state, but in order to arrive at a lasting solution.

Representative of Kosovo Vlora Citaku said that Pristina will not ask for Serbia’s consent to join international organizations. And not only because of vanity, but because we are a member of the global community and because of citizens of Kosovo, regardless of their religious and ethnic affiliations, she said, adding that Pristina takes all its international obligations seriously and will provide UNSC members with arguments to gain their support in the future.

The British Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft, Security Council President, speaking in his national capacity, said that despite their bid to join UNESCO falling through, he welcomed Kosovo’s strong commitment to respect the Serbian cultural heritage.  While concerns about attacks against minorities and their heritage were understandable, he stressed that such attacks were not ethnic but criminal in nature. Noting that four agreements vital for the well-being for Kosovo’s people had been reached in the Brussels dialogue, he called on both sides to make the difficult decisions towards implementing them. In addition, the frequency of the Council’s sessions on Kosovo should be reduced as the reality on the ground did not warrant it.  It was time to conclude that it was Europe and not the Council that would bring momentum to progress on the issue.

The Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaliy Churkin welcomed the Special Representative’s drive to pursue stability in Kosovo, in line with UNSCR 1244, the fundamental document for settlement of that issue.  In the Special Representative’s statement, rhetoric had prevailed over facts, he said, recalling that representatives from the region had addressed the Council in a personal capacity.  Expressing his delegation’s concern over the absence of results in investigating an incursion by fighters from Kosovo into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia earlier in 2015, he said the Russian Federation’s position on Kosovo remained unchanged, underlining that UNSCR 1244 was fully in force as the international legal basis for a legal settlement in Kosovo.

The Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi expressed his delegation’s respect for Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing that UNSCR 1244 was the legal basis for the solution to the question of Kosovo, which should be established through dialogue and negotiation.  Expressing appreciation of Serbia’s efforts in seeking a solution, he noted that positive results had been achieved in the Brussels dialogue and urged that it continue.

The US Ambassador to the UN David Pressman commended efforts to normalize Belgrade-Pristina relations through the EU-led dialogue, as well as Kosovo’s strengthening of institutions and signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement. Praising Serbia and Kosovo for having reached agreements on energy, telecommunications and freedom of movement on the Mitrovica bridge, he said those accords must be implemented. The Kosovo Assembly’s approval to set up a special court outside Kosovo was a critical step, and it must finalize a host State agreement with the Netherlands.  He commended Kosovo for having conducted a dignified campaign for membership in UNESCO, stressing that the United States would support its international integration and recognition.  He asked the Council to extend the reporting period for UNMIK to every six months.

Stoltenberg: KFOR abolishes restrictions in Serbia’s airspace (Tanjug)

KFOR abolished today the restrictions that were valid for parts of Serbia’s airspace, which were introduced in 1999. This news was brought to Belgrade by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who told a press conference following talks with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic that KFOR is fully relaxing the safety zone, and that it abolishes restrictions that were introduced in 1999. He adds that this is a concrete expression of NATO-Serbia relations. Stoltenberg says that this implies full integration of Serbia into the European airspace, and according to him the decision was made based on Serbia’s commitment to the normalization of relations with Pristina. “Our intervention in 1999 was not against the Serb people, but that it was aimed at stopping the unacceptable operations of the Milosevic regime. The NATO intervention ended the many years of war in the Balkans. During the intervention, we did everything to prevent the loss of innocent lives and every lost life of civilians was a tragedy that we deeply regret,” said Stoltenberg. He expressed his condolences to the families on both sides of the conflict and to all those who lost their loves ones. “I am here today in regard to a new beginning of NATO-Serbia relations. This is more important to us than ever, because we are faced with many common challenges,” stressed Stoltenberg, pointing out that cooperation is of mutual benefit. He reminds that the partnership plan offers many possibilities of cooperation and that NATO is prepared to launch a new fund for assisting Serbia to destroy 200 tons of excess ammunition. He says that he had learned how close relations between the citizens in Norway and Serbia are and that he has a personal link with Serbia. As the NATO Secretary General, he says that he deeply believes in the potential relations between the military alliance and Serbia, respecting the policy of neutrality, and that he looks forward to development of relations in both political and practical cooperation between NATO and Serbia. He says that Serbia plays an important role in building security in the Balkans and throughout the world, as well as in welcoming thousands of refugees, but also in the chairmanship of the OSCE and deploying soldiers to the UN and EU missions. He also pointed out that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is very important for all of us and encouraged its continuation. According to him, the dialogue is the only way forward and welcomed the important steps that had been reached in stepping up Serbia’s cooperation with the neighbors.

Vucic: We will control our entire airspace (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has stated that the NATO Secretary General brought today big news for Serbia and its citizens, which states that there are no further restrictions in the 25-kilometer-zone of the airspace in Serbia proper. He says that he believes that we will establish, after 16 years, all measuring instruments and radars and finally have under our control the entire airspace of Serbia. Vucic told a joint press conference with Stoltenberg that what is especially important is that KFOR is the guarantor of security and protection of churches and monasteries in Kosovo, but that NATO is the guarantor for the non-presence of the Kosovo security forces in four northern Kosovo municipalities. “This is of key importance for Serbia and we are very grateful to NATO and Stoltenberg concerning this issue,” said Vucic, adding that he had also discussed with him how the military alliance can help Serbia in the migrant crisis, as well as the training of Serbian soldiers and officers. Vucic also says that our interest is for airplanes from Belgrade to land in Pristina, and that this will be discussed with NATO as well, and that the program of destroying excess ammunition is very important. The visit of the NATO Secretary General provokes different stands and views in Serbia, says Vucic, assessing that it is important and useful for our country, and announced that he received an invitation to visit NATO headquarters next July to address the member states of this organization. “There is no doubt that I will accept this invitation if I will be the Prime Minister at this time, because this is very important for our country,” said Vucic.

Veljovic: Serbian citizens are safe, unity of all services (RTS)

On the occasion of the murder of two soldiers of the B&H Armed Forces, Police Director Milorad Veljovic told the morning broadcast of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that this represented an act of terrorism and big warning to everybody in the region. “Serbian citizens are completely safe at this moment, all security services, the Serbian Interior Ministry and Army are involved, we are vigilantly monitoring the situation and at this moment the security of Serbia is not jeopardized,” said Veljovic. According to him, nobody can guarantee safety completely, but the fact is that the state fully controls the situation. H recalled that the level of security measures had been increased last spring after the events in Kumanovo and Zvornik, Veljovic says that the level of security has been raised to a much higher level, especially in terms of intelligence.

REGIONAL PRESS

Names of suggested ministers from SBB published (Dnevni avaz)

Secretary General of the Alliance for Better Future (SBB) and delegate in the Assembly of the Sarajevo Canton (KS) Ismir Jusko confirmed the names of ministers that should enter the government in the KS instead of ministers from the Democratic Front (DF). According to Jusko, suggested candidates of SBB are Mirvad Kuric for the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Mario Nenadic for the Ministry of Justice and Administration, Ismir Jusko for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Amela Dautbegovic for the Ministry of Labor, Social Policy, Displaces Persons and Refugees and Zilha Ademaj for the Ministry of Health. Suggested ministers will be appointed at the next session of the Assembly.

Day of mourning for murdered soldiers today (Klix.ba)

The B&H Council of Ministers decided that the Day of mourning for the murdered two soldiers of the B&H Armed Forces will be today, Friday 20th. As confirmed by the Council of Ministers, this body of executive authority made the decision of proclaiming 20 November as the Day of mourning. All the flags on the B&H institutions will be displayed at half-mast, and according to the current regulations all sports and entertainment programs planned for the day will be canceled. This way will be paid the tribute for the soldiers killed by Enes Omeragic. It has not been announced yet when the memorial service and funeral of the killed soldiers will take place.

Who is Enes Omeragic, the murderer from Sokolje? (Radio Sarajevo/Srna)

Enes Omeragic killed two members of the B&H Armed Forces: Armin Salkic and Nedeljko Radic Wednesday night in Rajlovac, Sarajevo. He was shooting from the automatic weapon even after leaving the sports book where the horrible crime took place. Several passengers in the bus of KJKP GRAS were slightly injured due to the broken glass. And who is Enes Omeragic? He was born on the 1st of August 1981 in the village Longvic, France. He lived in the Sarajevo suburban settlement of Sokolje where last night, after killing two soldiers, he committed suicide. He was convicted for aggravated theft multiple times. He was also being treated for addiction to hard drugs, and he was not a member of any radical religious groups although the first information claimed the opposite, reports Radio Sarajevo. Sahin Omeragic, father of Enes Omeragic who killed two soldiers of the Armed Forces Wednesday in Rajlovac and then committed suicide, said that he feels more sorry for the deaths of soldiers than for his own son. He said that he found out about the tragic event from the media, which he addressed at the doorstep after the police left the settlement after the investigation. “Enes lived on the ground floor for 4 years, we have not been in a fight, but we did not contact too much either. He was living alone”, said Sahin. He told to reporters that he could not believe what was happening. “I could not believe, I do not know where he got the gun, we never had weapons in our house,” said Sahin. He also added that he feels very sorry for the soldiers that his son has killed and, as he emphasized, that made him very angry. “I just went down to see the blood. I feel terrible. Not because he was my child, but I feel sorrier for this soldiers. Do you believe me? They told me that he knew this one soldier who was born on ‘81. They served army near Dudakovici together. That was 10 years ago. They told me that they knew each other; they were hanging out together in Rajlovac. I will not go to the funeral- I’m angry because of what he did, I toured the whole world… I was also young, I was a young boy too, but I never thought on something like this,” said Sahin. Contrary to the reports by Radio Sarajevo, Security Minister in the B&H Council of Ministers, Dragan Mektic stated that Enes Omeragic is a terrorist, who killed two soldiers knowingly, deliberately and intentionally. He has stressed at the press conference that the statement above is confirmed by the fact that Omeragic had prepared himself well before he committed this crime, and that he was not paying attention to the civilians in his spree killing. According to Mektic, lots of documents, indicating he was a radicalized person who was glorifying ISIL, were seized during the ransack of the premises in which Omeragic stayed. Mektic has noted that several persons associated with this event, including witnesses, relatives and others, have been interrogated so far. He has stressed that Omeragic was not listed in the radical persons register in the security and intelligence services. He was only linked with his brother in law who is in such register. According to Mektic, once again, the lack of coordination between the security agencies in B&H has been proved. “This crime has finally proved that we have to undertake measures against radicalism and terrorism,” said Mektic. Following the statement B&H Minister of Security, Dragan Mektic released the details on omeragic’s spree killing. Enes Omeragic left his home located in the Sarajevo’s Sokolje on Wednesday at about 18.30 pm, armed with an automatic rifle and several rounds of ammunition, in order to commit a terrorist act. The gunman, according to initial reports, fired a short burst of a few bullets when leaving his house. “Then he came to a bet shop, where two soldiers and a few civilians were. He passed by the civilians, paying no attention to them, approached the soldiers and fired several shots at them, instantly killing them,” said Mektic. According to Mektic, Omeragic walked out and fired several bullets afterwards. “He spotted a soldier getting on the bus and followed him, most likely, with the intention of killing him. Thanks to the bus driver who turned off the lights at that particular moment, he failed to do so. Omeragic fired a burst of bullets at the bus, but no person was seriously injured,” said Mektic. He added that Omeragic activated a hand grenade after returning home, whose crater has not yet been found, but detonations were heard. Wahhabi Enes Omeragic killed on Wednesday night members of the B&H Armed Forces, Nedeljko Radic and Armin Salkic, and wounded Dzevad Ljukovac in Rajlovac, Sarajevo, and committed suicide afterwards.

Islamist website said killing of B&H soldiers is “only the beginning of bloodshed” (Bosna danas)

Islamist website “Vijesti ummeta” stated that “murder of two Bosnian soldiers is only the beginning of the bloodshed”, and that “blood will flow through dirty streets of Bosnia and Europe until the flag of tawhid flies across the whole of Europe.” The website, which promotes ideas of the Islamic State (ISIL), celebrated the heinous crime in an article entitled “It has begun – two B&H soldiers killed and several wounded, thanks to Allah.” The radical Islamist website said that it had warned that “blood will flow through Europe, particularly Bosnia,” and that the worst things are yet to come. “It has happened, two dirty soldiers who have been fighting for nationalism and false deities and were defending the country and a government that brought them no good, have been killed. Two soldiers were killed, one of which was Serb, a real unbeliever, and the other Bosniak, murtadd (apostate),” said this radical website. This website promotes terrorism and calls on people to commit new crimes. Administrators of this website which publishes articles in Bosnian language live abroad.

Proposal for ordering custody to six war crimes suspects (Faktor.ba)

Prosecutor of B&H issued, after interrogation of suspects, proposal to the Court of B&H for ordering custody for six men suspected for war crimes in Kotor Varos in 1992, as well as in the later period. The suspects are: Slobodan Zupljanin called “Bebac”, born on the 17.11.1957 in Maslovare, Kotor Varos; Bosko Peulic, born on the 14.1.1947 in Donji Vijcani, Prnjavor; Aleksandar Petrovic called “Sasa”, born on the 28.12.1970. in Kotor Varos; Manojlo Tepic called “Mane”, born on 16.5.1960 in Postolje, Kotor Varos; Janko Trivic, born on 04.06.1949 in the village Josavka, Celinac and Nedeljko Djekanovic, born on 15.11.1958 in the village Grabovica, Kotor Varos. After the arrest, the suspects were handed over to the Prosecutor who interrogated them as suspects, after which he issued the proposal for ordering custody on the basis of Article 132, paragraph 1, items a, b and d of the Criminal Procedure Code of B&H.

“Order for custody, among other things, was requested due to risk of escape, as well as the risk that if released the suspects might interfere with the investigation, hide the evidence and influence on the witnesses or accomplices, as well as to be able to commit the offense for which they were charged again,” as stated from the Prosecution. The order for custody was issued due to the severity of the criminal offense, and because this criminal offense is punishable by prison for more than 10 years, as well as the fact that the release of the suspects could lead to the breaches of security and public order. The mentioned suspects were charged due to the suspicion of committing crimes against humanity under the Article 172, paragraph 1, item h, of the Criminal Procedure Code of B&H.

Bill Clinton speech in Dayton emphasizes the future in B&H (Bosna danas)

Former president Bill Clinton was in Dayton Thursday for a speech on the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, the agreement that ended a war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Setting up the successful negotiation was one of Clinton’s accomplishments early in his presidency, though even he acknowledged what came out of those 21 days in Dayton is not perfect. “I remember how miserable Bosnian President Izetbegovic was when he had to initial the deal on the 21st day of the agreement. Remember?” he asked the crowd, which included B&H dignitaries and journalists, and current and former U.S. ambassadors to the region.

“The Bosnian president felt it wasn’t a just agreement, but apparently he said that day that it was more just than continuing terrifying war. If you want to win over the long run you have to make more good things happen”. The current U.S. Ambassador to B&H, Maureen Cormack, says a lack of ethnic and political unity is still present in the country. “Even agreeing on something like a national holiday for this day, that ended the war that brought peace to all citizens, has been challenging,” she said after Clinton’s speech. Dayton was chosen as a quiet, or some said, “bleak” place to broker peace. Clinton’s focus was less on the role of Dayton, or even the agreement itself—he emphasized that creating peace around the world goes beyond stopping war and ceasing bad things. “If you want to win over the long run, in a world where you cannot possibly control everybody, and where borders look more like nets than walls, you have to make more good things happen,” he said. “Good things like bringing economic opportunity and changing young people’s perceptions of their nations.” This anniversary conference in Dayton continues through Saturday.

Montenegro replies to Russian request to reconsider NATO bid (RTCG/Beta)

The Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that membership in NATO and the EU is the government’s strategic foreign policy objective. Montenegro thus reacted to Moscow’s call to reconsider its decision on accession to NATO. As stated, the orientation towards NATO membership is nothing new or unexpected, but the result of a consistent policy. “We have always communicated our position on this issue clearly, openly and unequivocally to all partners, including Russia, highlighting the sovereign right of each state to create its own foreign policy course,” said the MFA statement. Podgorica’s response also said that Montenegro’s integration in NATO is in the best interest of citizens and not directed against anyone, and that “in the spirit of centuries-long tradition and friendship Montenegro wants to develop and improve bilateral relations with Russia”. Russia on Thursday urged Montenegro to reconsider its NATO bid, assessing that Montenegro’s membership would be rash and seriously undermine the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries, as well as bring into question the complete work on the formation of a pan-European security architecture. Moscow’s message was delivered by Deputy Ambassador in Podgorica Vladimir Gurko, ahead of Friday’s expected adoption of a Russian State Duma’s document opposing the accession of Montenegro to NATO. Russia’s request comes ahead of the meeting of the western military alliance’s ministers in early December, when Montenegro should be invited to join NATO.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

20 years on, Bosnia stuck in peace deal divisions (AFP, by Rusmir Smajilhodzic, 19 November 2015)

Sarajevo – Two decades after the Dayton agreement brought an end to more than three years of devastating war in Bosnia, the unstable country remains locked in ethnic divisions that were cemented by the peace deal. Agreed on November 21, 1995, in the US military base in Dayton, Ohio, the accord formally split the former Yugoslav republic along ethnic lines, establishing a Serb-run entity, Republika Srpska, and the Muslim-Croat Federation. It brought to an end an inter-ethnic conflict that left 100,000 people dead and another two million homeless, but 20 years on critics describe Dayton as a “straitjacket” that does not allow Bosnia to become a normal country. “We live in the state of ‘unfinished war’ or ‘imperfect peace’,” said political analyst Gojko Beric. The war broke out in 1992 pitting Bosnia’s Muslims and ethnic Croats, who wanted independence from Yugoslavia, against Bosnian Serbs, armed by the Belgrade-controlled federal Yugoslav army. The two entities set up to end the bloodshed were given a large degree of autonomy and were linked by weak central institutions, which the international community tried to strengthen in the first decade after the conflict. But efforts have waned since 2006 after the United States gave up active engagement in Bosnia, which remains one of Europe’s poorest nations and is still struggling to unite after its bloody past.

– Like separate countries –

Today, crossing from one Bosnian entity to another is like entering a separate country — even train locomotives are changed. Police on each side wear different uniforms and residents watch different public television networks. Some services are divided into three to account separately for Croats: there are three postal systems, three academies of arts and science and three electricity companies in the tiny nation of 3.8 million people. Paddy Ashdown, Bosnia’s top international envoy between 2002 and 2006, sounded alarm bells when … The unsurprisingly bloated administration weighs heavily on public finances, unemployment is at more than 40 percent and political bickering has slowed the path to European Union accession. “The peace agreement brought to an end an atrocious war, but the basic problems caused by that same conflict were not resolved,” said Beric, referring to “the collision of two irreconcilable concepts”. On the one hand, he said, is the “separatist” concept defended by the firebrand Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik, who has threatened to hold an independence referendum in Republika Srpska. The alternative is “based on the idea of a united Bosnia”, supported by Muslim politicians. Some Bosnians who lived through the war, such as Muslim computer technician Amar Ramovic in Sarajevo, view the legacy of Dayton with ambivalence. “I was happy that the killing would stop, but at the same time I had regret,” said the 37-year-old, recalling the announcement of the deal when he was a teenager. “The agreement stopped our forces’ military progress and had it not been signed, Bosnia would not be a divided country today.”

– ‘Smell the danger’ –

Political science professor Djordje Vukovic, however, claims Dayton was not the source of the instability. “The soldiers were disarmed, but consciences were not demilitarised. We would not be different with another constitution,” he said. Earlier this year, legislators in Republika Srpska backed the holding of a referendum on whether to continue recognising Bosnia’s state court system — a move some fear is a stepping stone towards a vote on independence. Analyst Srecko Latal said such a vote would undermine Bosnia’s “territorial integrity” and mean that “a new conflict could not be excluded”. Croats have also called for greater autonomy.British politician Paddy Ashdown, Bosnia’s top international envoy between 2002 and 2006, sounded alarm bells this month when he told the global community to “wake up and smell the danger” the country will disintegrate. In the Serb capital of Banja Luka, less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Sarajevo, elderly resident Momcilo Vesovic said the Dayton agreement should be respected until a new generation emerges more willing to compromise. Meanwhile, he said, politicians should focus on the economy. “People agree more easily if they live well. If you do not have enough to eat, everyone can push you to do certain things… you think only of how to survive,” he said.

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Media summaries are produced for the internal use of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, UNMIK and UNHQ. The contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership.