UNMIK/PR/1405
PRISTINA – On the occasion of the International day of Missing Persons, SRSG Søren Jessen-Petersen today met families of missing persons to personally express his sympathy and solidarity.
The SRSG, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Adem Salihaj, first visited Velika Hodja/Hoca e Madhe where he met Kosovo Serb families of missing persons. He then attended a ceremony held at the Sports Hall of Djakovica/Gjakova prior to the reburial of identified remains of 16 Kosovo Albanian victims.
“Today we commemorate all over the world the International Day of the Missing Persons but I know that, for the families of the missing persons, families who have lost their loved ones, every day is the day of the missing persons,” the SRSG said. “The tragedy of having lost loved ones, of not knowing the fate of loved ones is the same for every person. Whether you are a Kosovo Albanian, a Kosovo Serb or a mother in Argentina, the tragedy is the same and we all have to do whatever we can to help you,” the SRSG stressed.
“We are working on what is a tragic humanitarian situation,” the SRSG said, “We have to work with you, for you, on your behalf, so we can try to help you to reconcile with the past, so that you can move forward.”
The SRSG also called for equal treatment for all the families of missing persons and appealed to all concerned authorities to come forward and take courageous steps in a spirit of cooperation in order to make progress on this issue. “There must be equal justice,” Søren Jessen-Petersen said, “There can be no double standards. Whereas the Kosovo Albanians constantly ask Serbia to do more, here in Kosovo all of us must do more.”
In this connection, the SRSG expressed the hope that the dialogues between Pristina and Belgrade, chaired by ICRC, will also produce early results on the fate of the missing persons.
The SRSG reaffirmed his full commitment concerning the missing persons: “We will spare no effort in coming to clarity on the fate of those who are still missing and for whom you have been waiting for news for a very long time.”