K. Serb returnees seek support

Eight Kosovo Serbs have, on their own and “despite everything”, returned to the village of Poljane in the Istok municipality, FoNet reports. They are only a part of a group of Serbs driven out of their homes, who want to return to the village. K. Serb returnees seek support The group of returnees currently live in a house at the outskirts of the village of Osojane. One of the returnees, Mihajlo Smigic, said that Serbs “expect the state authorities of Serbia but also the international organizations and Pristina to help them return”. “We’ve been placed in a house and we still can’t go to what’s ours. Our houses have been destroyed and properties have been usurped for 11 years. (Ethnic) Albanians are working our land and cutting down our forest. But we believe that we can return to what’s ours,” he said. The Serbs from Poljane say they are tired of waiting for someone to help them return, so they decided to make the move on their own. Once the conditions have been met their families will join them, they say. “We have reported our return and requested to return to our property, where we used to have houses, to KFOR and Kosovo police, but they tell us that we still can’t go there. We’ll wait in this house until we can go to our property,” the returnee explained. The Serb Istok municipality has provided the house the group has been living in for a week now. Municipal President Dragoljub Repanovic said that the returnees have food, water and electricity in the house. The returnees told reporters that no Ministry for Kosovo official had contacted or visited them, although they returned to the village on June 3. 36 Serb families lived in the village of Poljane before the 1999 war.

K. Serb returnees seek support

The group of returnees currently live in a house at the outskirts of the village of Osojane. One of the returnees, Mihajlo Šmigić, said that Serbs “expect the state authorities of Serbia but also the international organizations and Priština to help them return”.

“We’ve been placed in a house and we still can’t go to what’s ours. Our houses have been destroyed and properties have been usurped for 11 years. (Ethnic) Albanians are working our land and cutting down our forest. But we believe that we can return to what’s ours,” he said.

The Serbs from Poljane say they are tired of waiting for someone to help them return, so they decided to make the move on their own. Once the conditions have been met their families will join them, they say.

“We have reported our return and requested to return to our property, where we used to have houses, to KFOR and Kosovo police, but they tell us that we still can’t go there. We’ll wait in this house until we can go to our property,” the returnee explained.

The Serb Istok municipality has provided the house the group has been living in for a week now.

Municipal President Dragoljub Repanović said that the returnees have food, water and electricity in the house.

The returnees told reporters that no Ministry for Kosovo official had contacted or visited them, although they returned to the village on June 3.

36 Serb families lived in the village of Poljane before the 1999 war.