ICG CRITICISES UNMIK FOR POLITICISING KOSOVO RETURNS

PRISTINA, Dec 13 (Hina) - The International Crisis Group's (ICG) Pristina office on Friday released the latest ICG report on Kosovo, criticising the local U.N. Mission (UNMIK) for politicising the return of the displaced and stating that Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova is not doing enough to resolve this issue. #L# The report says the UNMIK forgets the risk posed by the return of displaced persons if return conditions have not been provided beforehand. The Brussels-based ICG criticises President Rugova for being insufficiently active in efforts to make the displaced return and Belgrade for wishing to divide Kosovo through the return of Serbs. The ICG also states the issue of Kosovo's status has become complicated and that it politicises Serb returns. By returning Serbs to their homes in Kosovo the international community would indicate that NATO's intervention in 1999 and the current presence of the international community in Kosovo did not lead to the creation of a monoethnic Kosovo, according to report. It further notes that the return of the displaced would convince the U.N. Security Council the time has come to start talks about Kosovo's final status. On the other hand, the ICG accuses Serbia's government of advocating Serb returns in order to achieve its goals - the division or cantonisation of Kosovo. The ICG has called on Kosovo's transitional institutions to refrain from obstructing returns and making them conditional on the final status or the shedding of light on missing persons. Serb political parties are called on to accept UNMIK's administration and join Kosovo's majority community. (hina) ha