UN SC divided over March 17 riots

The UN Security Council is still split over the report on the March riots in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. Russian UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the media after consultations behind closed doors that the report showed that the decision by the UNMIK leadership to use force had been wrong, while British representative Karen Pierce disagreed. UN SC divided over March 17 riots Churkin said that if UNMIK had been more patient, the situation could have been solved peacefully, but due to a rash and provocative decision, the consequences were such that one UNMIK police officer had been killed. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was asked to consider taking disciplinary measures against those responsible. However, during the debate, Churkin said that some members of the Security Council were not ready to call UNMIK representatives to account. The Council decided to send a transcript of the debate to the Secretary General, who is due to make a statement on the issue in the coming days. "We will study that statement thoroughly, and we hope that he will take a strong position regarding those who made this rash and provocative decision,” said the Russian ambassador. He said that he was sorry that the report had not been made public and that it had taken so long to compile, adding that he hoped that the Secretary General would draw certain lessons from it. "We are waiting to see what he will say”, said Churkin, stating that there was a way for him to criticize such behavior when “the UNMIK chief and his deputy resorted to force in the middle of negotiations with demonstrators, a move that had had such serious consequences. The UK representative at the Security Council consultations Karen Pierce said that the report into the March 17 riots had been studied, and that a number of Security Council delegations firmly believed that UNMIK had acted within its mandate. She said that the report had not taken into account the situation in the field, and that the interpretation that it had been a case of “excessive UNMIK reaction against peaceful demonstrators” was erroneous. “This was a pre-meditated attack on international representatives in Kosovo. The demonstrators had access to large calibre weaponry, Molotov cocktails and grenades, so that the interpretation that these were peaceful demonstrations where UNMIK reacted waywardly with excessive force is, in my opinion, untrue,” said Pierce. In her opinion, the idea had been expressed that the demonstrators had not been protesting solely at the Kosovo declaration of independence, but that extremists had wished to exploit the situation and roll the clock back to before 1999. “We believe that UNMIK and KFOR acted professionally, and that (then UNMIK Chief Joachim) Ruecker acted professionally,” expressing her sympathy for those killed and injured in the clashes. Following the arrest of the judges, who were protesting in the courthouse in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, riots broke out where one Ukrainian police officer died, and around 200 people were injured. The scenes on March 17 (FoNet, archive)

UN SC divided over March 17 riots

Churkin said that if UNMIK had been more patient, the situation could have been solved peacefully, but due to a rash and provocative decision, the consequences were such that one UNMIK police officer had been killed.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon was asked to consider taking disciplinary measures against those responsible.

However, during the debate, Churkin said that some members of the Security Council were not ready to call UNMIK representatives to account.

The Council decided to send a transcript of the debate to the Secretary General, who is due to make a statement on the issue in the coming days.

"We will study that statement thoroughly, and we hope that he will take a strong position regarding those who made this rash and provocative decision,” said the Russian ambassador.

He said that he was sorry that the report had not been made public and that it had taken so long to compile, adding that he hoped that the Secretary General would draw certain lessons from it.

"We are waiting to see what he will say”, said Churkin, stating that there was a way for him to criticize such behavior when “the UNMIK chief and his deputy resorted to force in the middle of negotiations with demonstrators, a move that had had such serious consequences.

The UK representative at the Security Council consultations Karen Pierce said that the report into the March 17 riots had been studied, and that a number of Security Council delegations firmly believed that UNMIK had acted within its mandate.

She said that the report had not taken into account the situation in the field, and that the interpretation that it had been a case of “excessive UNMIK reaction against peaceful demonstrators” was erroneous.

“This was a pre-meditated attack on international representatives in Kosovo. The demonstrators had access to large calibre weaponry, Molotov cocktails and grenades, so that the interpretation that these were peaceful demonstrations where UNMIK reacted waywardly with excessive force is, in my opinion, untrue,” said Pierce.

In her opinion, the idea had been expressed that the demonstrators had not been protesting solely at the Kosovo declaration of independence, but that extremists had wished to exploit the situation and roll the clock back to before 1999.

“We believe that UNMIK and KFOR acted professionally, and that (then UNMIK Chief Joachim) Ruecker acted professionally,” expressing her sympathy for those killed and injured in the clashes.

Following the arrest of the judges, who were protesting in the courthouse in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, riots broke out where one Ukrainian police officer died, and around 200 people were injured.