UNMIK/PR/949
PRISTINA – SRSG Michael Steiner today visited Mitrovica, where he met Roma and Ashkali IDPs in the north and then met returnees in the Dy Korriku/Sitnica quarters, following which he visited the Roma Mahalla, which was completely destroyed after the conflict in 1999.
Accompanied by Mitrovica Municipal Assembly President Faruk Spahija, SRSG Michael Steiner first visited the Roma IDP camp “Cesmin Lug”, located in the northern part of the city. The two agreed that “these people, like everyone else, have the right to live in dignity, they have the right to return to their property”.
From there they went on to see the returns site at Dy Korriku/Sitnica in the south, where Ashkali, Roma, Albanian, Bosniak and Turkish families are living in the same neighbourhood.
The SRSG and the Municipal President then went on a tour on foot through the Roma Mahalla, once the largest Roma community in the Balkans with 6,000-7,000 inhabitants living in nearly 750 houses.
Speaking to the media, along with Mr. Spahija, Mr. Steiner said that he had been to three places today. “The first site shows how necessary it is for people to go home. The second site shows that it is possible for people to return home and the third site shows what more needs to be done”.
Mr. Steiner, who also had separate talks with Mr. Spahija said he was encouraged by the level of understanding amongst the people of Mitrovica for everyone’s right to return to their property.