Pogrom against the Serbs in Kosovo - two decades of unpunished crime

Today marks 20 years since the beginning of a three-day violence by Albanian extremists against the Serbs in Kosovo, during which eight Serbs were killed, at least 170 injured, and more than 4,000 were expelled. Around 900 Serbian houses were destroyed, and 35 religious objects were set on fire, including 18 cultural monuments. Numerous icons and immovable cultural assets were forever destroyed. Several places were ethnically cleansed.

None of the organizers or instigators of these crimes have been brought to justice, and the expelled Serbs have not been allowed to return or compensated for their destroyed property.

In clashes with members of international security forces, 11 Albanians also perished. Dozens of members of international forces were injured in confrontations with local Albanians.

The pogrom was preceded by reports from Kosovo media on March 16, 2004, that three boys of Albanian nationality, aged 8, 11, and 12, had died by drowning in the Ibar River, in the village of Cabra, near Zubin Potok, allegedly fleeing Serbian attackers. However, UNMIK spokesperson Derek Chappell denied that the boys had died fleeing Serbs and characterized the violence as planned.

"The efforts of Albanian extremists to portray the March Pogrom of Serbs in 2004 as a spontaneous reaction of Albanians to the unfortunate drowning incident of Albanian boys from the village of Cabra in the Ibar River, for which the Serbs were maliciously blamed, represent only a facade for a previously well-planned and prepared action of ethnic cleansing of the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija and the destruction of their national and cultural identity, i.e., erasing traces of their centuries-long existence in that area," it is stated in the publication of the Security Information Agency of Serbia prepared on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the pogrom of the Serbs in Kosovo.

According to this information, an operational action plan was prepared in advance and decided upon at secret meetings organized by various Albanian structures.

"Particular engagement in preparations for the rebellion and ethnic cleansing of the Serbs was shown by members of the Albanian intelligence service SHIK, who were tasked with grouping their members in municipalities and preparing extremists for the destructive rampage against the Serbs and their property," Security Intelligence Agency data show.

Unpleasant scenes began on March 17 at noon when thousands of Kosovo Albanians crossed the bridge over the Ibar and attacked the Serbs in North Mitrovica. They used automatic and sniper weapons and threw Molotov cocktails at UNMIK vehicles. Attacks on the Serbs spread to Caglavica and surrounding Serbian villages, Pristina, Podujevo, Vucitrn, Istok, Djakovica, Lipljan, Urosevac, Vitina, Suva Reka, Obilic, Prizren, Gnjilane, Kosovska Kamenica, Pec... All of this happened in plain sight of thousands of members of international peacekeeping forces KFOR and UNMIK.

In Obilic, a school was attacked and set on fire while around thirty students were having classes. The burning of religious sites and mass destruction continued on March 18 as well. The image of breaking the cross at the Church of St. Elijah in Podujevo has become one of the symbols of Serbian suffering.

The events in March in Kosovo were condemned by the UN Security Council and the EU. During a visit to Obilic on March 23, the then head of UNMIK, Harri Holkeri, stated that Albanian extremists had had a "prepared plan" for violence, while NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Admiral Gregory Johnson, described the violence in Kosovo as clearly "organized."

"This type of activity, essentially representing ethnic cleansing, cannot continue," Johnson told journalists in Pristina.

After the pogrom against the Serbs, 270 Albanians were arrested, 143 individuals were convicted, most receiving fines and 67 were sentenced to prison, but not the main perpetrators.

Killed Serbs:

In the municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica, Borivoje Spasojevic (1941) and Jana Tucev (1968) were killed. In Lipljan, Nenad Vesic (1951), father and son, Dobrivoje (1955), and Borko (1984) Stolic were killed in Drajkovac, Strpce municipality. In Gnjilane, Boban Peric (1952), a physical education teacher in the village of Kusce, was killed. In the Kosovo Polje municipality, Zlatibor Trajkovic (1942) from Kosovo Polje was killed, and in the Prizren municipality, Dragan Nedeljkovic (1943) from Prizren Seminary.

Destroyed and damaged churches and monasteries:

In Prizren, the following suffered damage: Our Lady of Ljevis (14th century), the Church of St. Saviour (14th century), the Cathedral of St. Great Martyr George (1856), the Church of St. Nicholas Tutic (14th century), the Church of St. George Runovic (16th century), the Church of the Holy Sunday (14th century), the Church of St. Panteleimon (14th century), the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian (14th century), the Church of St. Sunday in Zhivinjan, the Monastery of the Holy Archangels (14th century), as well as the building of the Theological Seminary of St. Cyril and Methodius and the Bishop's Residence. In Orahovac, the Church of St. Sunday (Kyriake, 1852) in Brnjaca was destroyed. In Djakovica, the Assumption of the Most Holy Mother of God Cathedral (16th century) with the parish house, the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (the surviving bell towers from the 1999 bombing were destroyed), and the Church of St. Prince Lazarus in the village of Piskote suffered damage. In Srbica, the Monastery of Devic (15th century) was set on fire. In Pec, the Metropolitan Church with the parish house of the Church of St. John the Baptist and Forerunner, the Church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God in Belo Polje (set on fire again), and the Church of St. John the Forerunner and Baptist in Pecka Banja were destroyed. In Urosevac, the Church of St. Emperor Uros was damaged, in Kosovska Kamenica, the church in Donja Slapasnica, as well as the church in Talinovci, and in Stimlje, the Church of St. Archangel Michael. In Pristina, the Church of St. Nicholas (19th century) was set on fire, in Kosovo Polje, the Church of St. Nicholas, and in the nearby Bresje, the Church of St. Catherine. In Vucitrn, the Church of St. Elijah was destroyed. In Obilic, the new church was damaged. In Kosovska Mitrovica, the Church of St. Sava was destroyed, and in Podujevo, the church from 1930.