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SerbiaCulture6 days ago

In Search for Kosovo War Missing, a Joint Commission but Little Hope

A joint Kosovo-Serbia commission established in 2023 to address the unresolved cases of individuals missing from the 1998–99 Kosovo war has been criticized as coming too late for many families. Halil Ujkani, whose multiple family members disappeared during the conflict, expresses little hope for the commission's effectiveness. The commission, chaired by the European Union, held its first meetings in January and April 2024. Among the missing are both Kosovar Albanians and Serbs, with some families still awaiting resolution.

The creation of a joint Kosovo-Serbia commission to resolve the fate of those still missing from the 1998-99 Kosovo war has come too late for Halil Ujkani. Now 91-years-old, he has already lost hope of ever finding the remains of his sons, brothers, and nephew.

Agreed in 2023, the Commission held its first meeting, chaired by the European Union, in January, and a second in April.

“I’ve heard about this joint commission,” said Ujkani, a former miner from the village of Vinarc, South Mitrovica. “But I no longer have any expectations.”

His two sons, 27-year-old Shaip and 19-year-old Nazmi, brothers Sadri, 42, and Zahit, 40, and a nephew called Nahit 20 went missing on April 16, 1999, less than a month into NATO air strikes to drive out Serbian forces accused of widespread atrocities and ethnic cleansing against the ethnic Albanian majority in the country’s then southern province.

They are among 1,585 people still missing as a result of the war. Of those, 470 are Serbs, including Petar Djuric, 60, who was last seen on June 29, 1999, in Istog/Istok. Djuric’s son, Marinko, said he was waiting to see “what this commission can deliver”.

Read the full article at Balkan Insight (BIRN) →
Source document: Joint Kosovo-Serbia Commission on Missing Persons

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Balkan Insight (BIRN)IndependentCenter6 days ago
In Search for Kosovo War Missing, a Joint Commission but Little Hope

A joint Kosovo-Serbia commission established in 2023 to address the unresolved cases of individuals missing from the 1998–99 Kosovo war has been criticized as coming too late for many families. Halil Ujkani, whose multiple family members disappeared during the conflict, expresses little hope for the commission's effectiveness. The commission, chaired by the European Union, held its first meetings in January and April 2024. Among the missing are both Kosovar Albanians and Serbs, with some families still awaiting resolution.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual information without overtly favoring either side. It quotes affected individuals and provides background on the commission and the number of missing persons without using biased language or selective sourcing. The tone is neutral, focusing on the human impact and the bel

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