Russia Complains of Fund Shift from UNMIK in Mitrovica, UN Has No Answers

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 21, updated Aug 22 -- During the Kosovo debate in the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Russian Ambassador Nikita Zhukov said Russia opposes the "so-called new administrative office" in north Mitrivica, saying it will be covered by funding previously earmarked for parts of the city through UNMIK, the UN mission in Kosovo.

  At least that's how it was translated. Video here, from Minute 1:24:30.

  But the web site for the Office is literally under construction, saying "Mitrovica North Administrative Office: The content for this part of the webpage is being prepared. Please visit us at a later time." (Kosovo does not have its own Internet domain.)

  Inner City Press went to the UN's noon briefing and asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky if UNMIK deferring to this new office, and the shift of funds, was consistent with Security Council Resolution 1244 and with UNMIK's role.

  Nesirky said he would look into it. But UNMIK envoy Farid Zarif never did a stakeout to take questions, and no answer was received from Ban's spokesperson's office by 6 pm on Tuesday.

  Nor did that office every answer Inner City Press question, just after Ban Ki-moon's whirlwind visit to Serbia, of his response to the request that the UN be more involved in the negotiations. Ban's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey said the UN would wait for the new Serbian government.

  Russia's Zhukov on Tuesday said his country supports the new government's request that the UN be more involved. But where is the UN's response? And there's are other DPKO answers still awaited. Watch this site.

Update of August 22, 2:52 pm -- more than 24 hours after the question was asked, the response below came in:

In response to your question yesterday on Kosovo, you may have confused the issues at hand.

The funds you referred to are generated by Kosovo tax revenue. They were previously administered by the UN Administration in Mitrovica, or UAM. However, Pristina authorities have now established their own facility to deliver municipal services to northern Mitrovica and no longer need to rely on UNMIK for this.

The second issue is the suggestion, by the Serbian side, that the 5th committee should increase UNMIK's funding so that it can take over some of the functions no longer executed by EULEX after its recent restructuring. This is a decision for the Security Council, which has not pronounced itself on the matter.

  The second issue, about the UN Budget Committee, was raised by Serbia. The complaint about the new administrative office (Responsive Paragraph 1, above) was made by Russia's Ambassador Zhukov in the open meeting on August 21. 

  And the response is not only to question whether UNMIK can just renounce these functions, but also whether the UN has in any way studied if residents will accept the functions being performed by the Kosovo authorities. What's the UN for? Watch this site.

UN Investigates Itself in Kosovo, with Francis SSekandi, and in Haiti Shoot-out Aftermath

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN

www.innercitypress.com/un1investig042808.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 28 -- While in Haiti the UN says it is actively investigating its reported killing of two people on April 12 in a street market following the shooting of UN peacekeeper, in Northern Kosovo its investigation of UNMIK's decision-making in re-taking a courthouse in Mitrovica has just gotten underway. Inner City Press' sources in Pristina tell of the arrival on April 26 of three officials of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and a UN-chosen Ugandan lawyer, Francis SSekandi, who previously serviced on the Rwanda genocide tribunal. We've made the name public. But will their report be made public?

This is always an uphill battle with the UN. Witness the UN's reaction Monday to charges that its peacekeepers in the Congo traded gold and guns with rebels. The UN gave a briefing, but only on condition that the briefers not be named. About Haiti, on Monday at the UN's briefing, Inner City Press asked "there are reports from Haiti that a protest has been filed with MINUSTAH (the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti) after the death of the peacekeeper and the shooting up of street vendors and the destruction of their property and some deaths. Has MINUSTAH received a protest in that regard and is there an investigation?

Deputy Spokesperson: "I'll look into that for you."

Added later to the transcript:

"The Deputy Spokesperson later told the correspondent that, according to MINUSTAH, the mission says it has not been sent any complaint or protest directly, but it has received a copy of a letter from two local commercial associations (Association of the Defense of Haitian Merchants & Consumers and The Association for Small Businesses) addressed to the Government prosecutor, in which it is alleged that the two persons named were killed by MINUSTAH troops on 12 April 2008 following the public murder of a Nigerian United Nations Police, who was shot dead in the market in Belair. MINUSTAH is, of course, investigating these allegations, but has not found any facts to substantiate them. Consequently the allegations that any MINUSTAH personnel killed these individuals or subsequently removed their bodies from the scene remain unsupported by any evidence."

The individual named in Inner City Press follow-up written question were Amonese Pierre and Anna Ainsi Connu. While the UN has said it is investigating itself -- we have heard this before -- this particular case should continue to be followed, as a matter of the UN's own "Responsibility to Protect" and otherwise.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1investig042808.html

At UN, Serbia's Vuk Jeremic Speaks of Kosovo, Says Ruecker "Doesn't Deserve" Higher UN Post

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/sc5kosovo040408.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 4 -- Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic met late Friday with the UN's Ban Ki-moon, then after 7 p.m. took question from the two media outlets left, a television station and Inner City Press. He spoke of Serbia asking the International Court of Justice to declare Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, and some countries' recognition of it, as illegal. Inner City Press asked him about the European Union's announcement that so-called Pillar IV of the UN Mission in Kosovo will end in June. While Ban's Deputy Spokesperson declined to comment on this earlier on Friday, Jeremic replied that he told Ban that the UN must keep up UNMIK, under Security Council Resolution 1244. He said that Ban assured him that the UN is in fact conducting an investigation of its actions in Metrovica on March 17, when they stormed the courthouse and re-took it by force.

Back on April 1, Inner City Press had asked Ban's Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq about "reports that UNMIK in Kosovo has alleged that Serbian Interior Ministry personnel were in Mitrovica when this courthouse incident took place and that somehow they have an office there, something that Serbia rejects. Is that what UNMIK is alleging and, if so, based on what evidence?

Haq answered, "I'll have to look into that. I hadn't heard of that before."

But rather than look into it and provide an answer or evidence, while the noon briefing was still going on, Haq's colleague upstairs e-mailed Inner City Press that the question should be directed to UNMIK. But UNMIK increasingly says it is waiting for guidance from New York, meaning that the questions should be asked in New York. Ultimately, Ban Ki-moon is responsible, as Vuk Jeremic on Friday made clear.

Of the rumor inside the UN that the current head of UNMIK Joachim Ruecker might come to New York to take over the Department of Management, with a promotion to Under-Secretary-General, Vuk Jeremic said without hesitation, "He doesn't deserve it." We'll see.

Press analysis: A Balkan diplomat consulted by Inner City Press said the reason that a Swiss cantonization of Kosovo could never work is that while "Switzerland is rich," Kosovo does not have the economy to support such an arrangement. He mused that in Ban Ki-moon's upcoming trip to Russia he will attempt to render moot what he said was Russia's threat to veto any second term as Secretary-General for Mr. Ban. He predicted that Kostunica would represent Serbia at the Council's April 21 debate, and openly questioned why the UN never responded to Serbia's formal request for an emergency meeting following the events of March 17 in Mitrovica. "It's strange they didn't answer," he said. Strange indeed...

and see, www.innercitypress.com/sc5kosovo040408.html

UN's Kosovo Rules of Engagement Questioned as Chain of Command is Retraced, from Larry Rossin back to NY

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un2kosovo031808.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 -- In the aftermath of the UN Mission in Kosovo sustaining at least one death while battling ethnic Serbs, questions are multiplying about who gave the order to retake the contested courthouse in northern Mitrovica, and what the UN's rules of engagement were. At Tuesday's noon briefing at UN headquarters, Inner City Press asked "who in UNMIK said, let's retake the courthouse?"

Spokesperson Michele Montas said, "we can try to retrace the chain of command. But, the fact that UN police left and KFOR stayed is part of the standard procedures we have on our agreements for escalating violent circumstances, where police alone cannot maintain law and order. And UNMIK and KFOR will consult on when to end the temporary departure of UN police from north Mitrovica."

While still waiting for this retracing of the chain of command -- sources tell Inner City Press that some high in UN Headquarters are questioning UNMIK's judgment -- the follow-up noted both Ihor Kynal, the "Ukrainian UNMIK police officer who is dead and that's terrible" as well as a "Serb who was shot in the head and is in critical care. Is it known who shot? Is that within UNMIK? Is that part of the UNMIK action or KFOR action?"

Spokesperson Michele Montas said, "I cannot confirm this at this point." And 12 hours later, whose bullet it was remained unconfirmed. The shot "Serb demonstrator" has been identified by the local press as a former Kosovo police officer with three children.

In terms of the "chain of command," deputy SRSG Larry Rossin has said "I authorized the operation that took place early Monday morning." And he has pointed the finger, or the chain, right back to New York, saying "We have instructions from our Secretary-General that we are to maintain the exclusive executive authority of the SRSG throughout Kosovo." Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un2kosovo031808.html