Nikovski: The impression is that Kosovo has forgotten the KLA leaders who led to secession

Former ambassador and analyst from Skopje, Risto Nikovski, stated that there is an impression that Kosovo has forgotten the detainees in The Hague who, in 1999, led to Kosovo’s secession, and that the protests of former KLA members were initiated in order to “correct that mistake.” He warns that many war crimes still have not been clarified, including the “military intervention” of the former National Liberation Army (NLA) in North Macedonia in 2001.

“The impression is that Kosovo has forgotten its prisoners in The Hague, and it is obvious that someone motivated them and set them in motion to take some action, because the leaders of their 1999 war have been in The Hague for a long time already. And I think that as a result, the veterans mobilized, realizing that they had made some kind of ‘mistake’ by not reacting in time, by not doing anything for their leaders who brought about the secession, the illegal secession of Kosovo,” Nikovski told Kosovo Online.

Asked how realistic the claims are that the Specialized Chambers in The Hague are “rewriting history” regarding the role of the former KLA, the analyst said such assessments are “nonsense.”

“But it must be said that all the special courts for the former Yugoslavia had a political dimension. That is a fact. The best proof of this is our case, the Macedonian one, when we had an invasion, a military intervention from Kosovo. None of them have been held accountable, and I hope that will happen,” Nikovski stressed.

He recalls that the Hague Tribunal (ICTY) convicted two citizens of North Macedonia, which he says demonstrates the extent of “manipulation, as well as the political approach and decisions.”

“None of those who started the war, who wanted to carve off so-called Albanian territories from Macedonia, have been held accountable. I believe such a case will come, but in the meantime it was Macedonians who were prosecuted. To this day, none of the Albanian ‘insurgents’ or those who caused the unrest have faced justice,” Nikovski said.

He also pointed out the absurdity that former NATO Secretary General George Robertson once called members of the National Liberation Army (NLA) terrorists, yet in practice none of them were ever prosecuted.

“Those who defended their homeland were the ones prosecuted. So, there is indeed a political dimension,” he clarified.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama recently stated that the Kosovo Assembly should adopt a resolution on the difficult position of Albanians before the Specialist Court, and that such a document would immediately be adopted by the Albanian parliament as well.

Nikovski said this is “a waste of time” and would be blocked by parts of the international community that support Kosovo.

“Such resolutions won’t help at all. I think the fact that such a step has not yet been taken in Kosovo is directly due to the influence of their strategic allies, who advise them that it would be a step in the wrong direction,” Nikovski said.

He also dismissed the possibility of an “amnesty” for KLA members who committed war crimes.

“That is not going to happen. Everyone who is already there (in The Hague) will be held accountable. There could be others as well, that should not be ruled out, even though the process is nearing its end. All those trials are coming to a close. However, everyone will face justice, and I believe that those who caused unrest in Macedonia and set our country back by ten years will also be held accountable,” Nikovski concluded.