USAID Field Report Kosovo Mar 2001

United States Agency for International Development
Bureau for Humanitarian Response
Office of Transition Initiatives
Kosovo Transition Initiative
Prishtina, Kosovo (871-761) 363-620 (381-38) 590-173

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The primary goal of OTI's Kosovo Transition Initiative (KTI) is to maximize the number of Kosovars involved in, and recognizing the value of, participating in decision making and the future development of democracy in Kosovo. Through its initiative, KTI encourages political diversity, increased citizen participation in political and community affairs, and professionalism and transparency in media and public service institutions. The bulk of KTI's portfolio has consisted of assistance to communities in forming and organizing Community Improvement Councils (CICs). These Councils are designed to support Kosovars in the process of rebuilding their communities while preparing them for the challenges of democratic self-governance. Following Kosovo's successful October municipal elections, KTI refined its focus to contribute to the cultivation of lasting relationships between citizens and their elected representatives. Additionally, KTI supports local media outlets in Kosovo, providing them with assistance to ensure

that professional, moderate, and high quality media is available to as many Kosovars as possible. Working closely with these media outlets to help them better understand their role in civil society, practice that role responsibly and build on KTI's community-based programs is a KTI priority. KTI also actively supports the efforts of local non-governmental organizations. The KTI program is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which manages field offices in Ferizaj/Urosevac, Gjilan/Gnjilane, Gjakova/Gjakovica, Mitrovca/Kosovska Mitrovica, Peja/Pec, Prishtina/Pristina and Prizren. To date, KTI has provided $11 million in assistance to Kosovo.

OVERALL SITUATION

Violent clashes between government forces in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and rebel forces, self-named the National Liberation Army (NLA), dominated much of the news coverage in March and preoccupied Macedonians, Kosovars and the international community alike - sparking fears of yet another Balkan war. As a result of the fighting, more than 40,000 Macedonians fled their homes and, according to UNHCR, 8,720 ethnic Albanian Macedonian refugees entered Kosovo. By March 13, FYROM security forces overran the former NLA stronghold in Tanusevci, from which the rebels had launched attacks during the preceding two weeks. On the following day, armed clashes spread to western Macedonian villages surrounding Tetovo, which remained in NLA control for the better part of two weeks, despite heavy bombardment by Macedonian security forces. By month's end, though, FYROM forces had largely concluded their operations and the situation eased to an uncertain calm.

The prevailing international response to the crisis has been firm support for the Macedonian government, including a series of high level diplomatic visits to Macedonia by EU and NATO leaders, coupled with pressure on FYROM to negotiate with Albanian political parties on increased rights for the Albanian minority. The dominant attitude among Albanian Kosovars tends to be one of support for Albanians in Macedonia. Political leaders of the major parties in Kosovo have nonetheless agreed the crisis should be resolved through political means. Subsequent border restrictions and closures imposed by Macedonian authorities caused considerable delays in the flow of goods, supplies, and services to Kosovo via the Macedonia-Kosovo border. Fuel supplies to Kosovo's power plants were notably affected.

Yugoslav government efforts to arrest Slobodan Milosevic also captured the attention of the region and the world. The deposed, internationally indicted former Yugoslav president refused to go quietly and at the end of the reporting period a tense standoff between Yugoslav police and security forces loyal to Milosevic continued. The response to Yugoslav government efforts to arrest Milosevic was surprisingly measured in Kosovo, as Kosovars questioned whether Yugoslavia would turn him over to the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.

On February 27, the Yugoslav parliament approved an amnesty law, under which approximately 108 Kosovo Albanians detained in Yugoslav prisons became eligible for release. UN Chief Administrator in Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, welcomed the release of the 108 Kosovar Albanian prisoners, but reiterated his position that all Kosovar Albanian prisoners should be returned to Kosovo, where their cases will be reviewed by UNMIK in accordance with international legal standards and procedures. As of early March, ICRC reported that 1,377 Albanians had been released from Yugoslav prisons, but that 652 remained imprisoned.

On February 28, NATO decided to reduce the buffer zone around Kosovo, which it had established in 1999 to separate Yugoslav forces and NATO soldiers. Subsequently, on March 8, NATO allowed Yugoslav forces into parts of the buffer zone between Kosovo, Serbia, and Macedonia as part of a planned phased return.

UN Chief Administrator Hans Haekkerup appointed members to the Technical Working Group on the Legal Framework, commonly referred to as the constitution, charged with drafting regulations that will allow for provisional self-government in Kosovo. The group began its work on March 8 and is scheduled to complete a draft by April 10. Despite uncertainty stemming from an article in The Economist suggesting he planned to postpone Kosovo central elections until 2002, Haekkerup reconfirmed that elections would take place in 2001. He established the Central Election Commission on March 8 and on March 23 they held their first meeting.

In local government issues, a stalemate in the Malisheva Municipal Assembly appears to be over. After a lengthy deadlock, Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) representatives agreed to temporarily replace the LDK member of the Malisheva Assembly who had been injured in a shooting and unable to attend assembly meetings. In consultation with representatives from UNMIK and OSCE, Malisheva political party leaders further developed a power-sharing arrangement expected to clear the way for the formation of a functioning administrative government in Malisheva and resumption of assembly activities.

Incidents of interethnic violence continued in March. In Gjilan, two explosions on Serb property were reported, as well as kidnapping, vandalism, and rock-throwing incidents. Following a bombing in Partes, more than 200 Serbs protested, pulling two passing Albanians out of their car and burning it. KFOR made several arrests for weapons violations in Gjilan, Viti, and Kamenica municipalities.

Progress on interethnic cooperation continued in Viti, where four Serbs have been participating in the municipal assembly since December, with one Serb appointed as Vice-President of the assembly. Members of both communities are working together with UNMIK to ensure greater representation of minorities in public utility companies.

USAID/OTI HIGHLIGHTS

A. Narrative Summary

KTI staff continued to engage municipal representatives in frequent coordination meetings, notably with working groups and CEOs, to set and act upon joint municipal-community priorities. A more coherent KTI policy, combined with a better understanding on the part of municipal representatives and community members of KTI's post-election focus, resulted in a significant increase of approved grants in March: $500,772, up from $105,252 in February. The increasing readiness of municipal assembly representatives to establish priorities in consultation with community members is encouraging.

In Gjakova, KTI is coordinating its engagement of the municipal assembly with the National Democratic Institute's (NDI) political party development programming, which also emphasizes the need for political and elected representatives to solicit broad community feedback to engender transparent local governing practices. On March 8, representatives from NDI met with the Gjakova Municipality CEO, members of the Gjakova Municipal Assembly and municipal department directors to discuss ways of formalizing citizen access and participation in municipal decision-making. It was the first of several meetings that will also include political party leaders.

KTI has also been extremely active this month in its work with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). From Prishtina, KTI supported the launch of The Forum's five-month anti-violence campaign across Kosovo. The five-month campaign calls for an end, or literally 'Enough!', to the violence that has plagued Kosovo - political, ethnic, and all other forms. KTI/Gjakova is working with the local NGO, We Are With You (WAWY), municipal representatives, and other groups to reconstruct a bridge in Ponoshec that will connect seven villages, upgrade the municipality's transportation infrastructure and facilitate economic development in the municipality. The Gjakova office is also working with the IOM Information Technology department to transfer management of the Gjakova Internet Center to a local NGO when IOM and U.S. State Department funding ends this May. KTI/Peja received seven proposals from local NGOs, and developed a template to help groups better tailor their proposals to fit KTI's overall goals and approach. In Gjilan, KTI participated in an UNMIK-hosted conference with donors, KFOR, and local NGOs to devise a coordinated approach for work in the municipality.

A number of projects were implemented to further the process of interethnic reconciliation. In the ethnically mixed and volatile community of Fushe Kosova/Kosovo Polje, KTI, a consortium of local NGOs, municipal structures and OSCE opened a multiethnic Internet Center. The center will provide 11 computers and a secure environment for people to learn computer skills and communicate with the outside world. It is hoped the center will bring together people of all ethnic groups in the community, including Albanians, Ashkali, and Serbs, and promote reconciliation.

KTI/Prizren is working with Radio Sharri, the only local media outlet in the isolated, multi-ethnic municipality of Dragash, to produce local news and information programming in the Gorani language.

Building upon its strong cooperation with local organizations and community networks, KTI staff conducted a survey, collecting data from five local non-governmental organizations in each KTI AOR. The 35 profiles of local organizations will be used to provide a snapshot of the condition, funding and discernable trends in Kosovo's local NGO sector. The information and analysis will provide a baseline for USAID's increased efforts to further support local capacity in Kosovo and allow KTI to assess these organizations and their suitability for collaboration and assistance.

During March, ten KTI projects were completed, including three electrical upgrades, two water systems, installation of a water pump, a school heating system, road rehabilitation, a grant for a local radio station and completion of a marketplace. Currently, 103 KTI projects are in various stages of implementation.

B. Indicators of Success

On March 14, the Gjakova Municipal Assembly addressed the issue of municipal infrastructure repair and community development priorities as part of an agreement with KTI to solicit public input for a discussion of municipal priorities. Likewise, municipal assemblies in the Peja AOR responded well to dialogue with KTI and proved willing to work with communities in prioritizing municipal needs.

In Mitrovica AOR, KTI staff and municipality representatives met on ten occasions and together held 11 town hall meetings to discuss projects and yearly budgets. On average, five assembly representatives and 42 community members attended each of these KTI-facilitated meetings. KTI/Mitrovica staff encouraged assembly members to broadcast these events live on local media outlets, and in Leposavic the events were broadcast on television by RTVMIR.

The municipal assemblies of Vushtrri, Skenderaj, and Leposavic have begun to use the KTI process as a model for reaching out to citizens and have begun to meet with communities on their own.

With equipment provided by KTI, Radio Kamenica expanded its programming to include call-in shows for both the Albanians and Serbs in the city and in surrounding areas.

USAID's Community Infrastructure Service Program (CISP) remained an increasingly important method for identifying and implementing infrastructure rehabilitation projects across Kosovo. (See Table 2)

In March, KTI leveraged $283,834 from other donors and $78,625 from direct grantee contributions, increasing the $500,772 committed directly by KTI by an additional 73%. The largest grantee contribution, $23,810, was committed by Ferizaj municipal authorities and the community at large to refurbish and rehabilitate the Ferizaj public library.

C. Program Appraisal

In March, KTI approved 25 new grants worth $500,772, an increase over January and February. This rise in new grants was anticipated and suggests the positive impact of KTI efforts conducted over the past several months to develop systematic and productive working relationships with municipal assemblies, their CEOs, department heads, working groups and between these local government institutions and community members at large. The same can be said of KTI cooperation with Kosovar non-governmental organizations and civic groups, largely the result of KTI project implementation strategy approaches developed and shared at last month's KTI staff retreat. KTI also increased cooperation on many projects with other actors, including KFOR, OSCE, UNMIK structures, and a variety of international donors and implementers.

In March, CISP announced a temporary hold on new project approvals due to uncertainty surrounding total donor pledges for Kosovo reconstruction and development, and the Mission's subsequent inability at present to ensure that total U.S. government assistance to Kosovo does not exceed 15 percent of total donor assistance, as limited under U.S. law.

As a result, the March number of KTI-identified approved CISP projects was fewer than anticipated. USAID expects forthcoming information about other donor assistance to Kosovo to reveal that U.S. government assistance does not exceed 15 percent of total commitments, allowing CISP to approve new projects, roughly $2 million of which are marked for KTI-identified infrastructure rehabilitation works.

NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES

Based upon ideas shared and developed in last month's retreat, KTI staff will continue refining strategies for coordinating efforts with municipal assembly representatives and ensuring increased community involvement. Similarly, methods of project cooperation with local NGOs, other community organizations and local media outlets will be further developed.

In response to desires expressed by local staff at last month's retreat, KTI is preparing four week-long staff training sessions to take place throughout May. At present, 60 KTI, IOM, and USAID staff are scheduled to attend the training. KTI management intends to enhance the Kosovar staff's management skills. The training is part of OTI's exit strategy for KTI that includes the full transfer of the management for KTI's community-based political development programming to local Kosovar staff. KTI will also be instituting a program to provide local staff with English language instruction to augment their written English skills.

Points of contact:

In Kosovo: Kirpatrick J. Day, Acting Country Representative, Tel: (381-38) 590-174, e-mail: kday@usaid.gov.

In Washington: Rob Jenkins, Europe and Eurasia Team Leader, 202-712-0914, e-mail: rjenkins@usaid.gov.