Newsroom
OSCE outraged by attacks on staff in Kosovo
PRISTINA 30 January 2001
PRISTINA, 30 January 2001 - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo strongly condemns the brutal attack on six of its local staff members near Mitrovice/Kosvoska Mitrovica on Monday evening.
"This is an outrage," said head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Daan Everts. "It undermines the work the whole international community is trying to do. It is unacceptable."
The staff members were attacked as they were driving home from the OSCE Regional Centre. Their OSCE vehicle was stopped by a crowd in the southern part of the city and the four women and two men were dragged from it.
One of the men escaped the crowd but the other was seriously beaten and remains in hospital. When the women were found they were deeply traumatised. All the staff were treated in KFOR hospitals.
KFOR's swift assistance at the scene likely prevented the situation becoming even worse.
There has been an upsurge in violence in Mitrovice/Kosovska Mitrovica over the last few days. One person was killed and two others injured Monday in a grenade attack, and OSCE is also appalled by this event. Last week an international OSCE mission member was assaulted in the town.
The OSCE has been working in Kosovo since 1998, when it came in as the Kosovo Verification Mission. Under its mandate, granted in 1999, it has been working for all people in Kosovo in assisting the growth of democracy and rule of law.
This work is made meaningless in the face of brutal attacks on OSCE personnel. More than a thousand local staff are employed by the organization. All are treated equally and deserve respect for working in often difficult circumstances.
None of them should face such mindless and vicious assaults.
For further information, contact OSCE Spokesperson Claire Trevena Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260 / mobile: +377 (044) 500-150 / email: press@omik.org //www.osce.org/kosovo/
"This is an outrage," said head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Daan Everts. "It undermines the work the whole international community is trying to do. It is unacceptable."
The staff members were attacked as they were driving home from the OSCE Regional Centre. Their OSCE vehicle was stopped by a crowd in the southern part of the city and the four women and two men were dragged from it.
One of the men escaped the crowd but the other was seriously beaten and remains in hospital. When the women were found they were deeply traumatised. All the staff were treated in KFOR hospitals.
KFOR's swift assistance at the scene likely prevented the situation becoming even worse.
There has been an upsurge in violence in Mitrovice/Kosovska Mitrovica over the last few days. One person was killed and two others injured Monday in a grenade attack, and OSCE is also appalled by this event. Last week an international OSCE mission member was assaulted in the town.
The OSCE has been working in Kosovo since 1998, when it came in as the Kosovo Verification Mission. Under its mandate, granted in 1999, it has been working for all people in Kosovo in assisting the growth of democracy and rule of law.
This work is made meaningless in the face of brutal attacks on OSCE personnel. More than a thousand local staff are employed by the organization. All are treated equally and deserve respect for working in often difficult circumstances.
None of them should face such mindless and vicious assaults.
For further information, contact OSCE Spokesperson Claire Trevena Tel: (+381-38) 500-162 ext. 260 / mobile: +377 (044) 500-150 / email: press@omik.org //www.osce.org/kosovo/