OIC- SLOW COACH TO KOSOVA.
By Dr. Samiullah Koreshi.

The first reaction of any concerned Muslim to the OIC Foreign Ministers meeting held on 7th April at Geneva to consider the tragedy of ethnic Albanian Muslims can aptly be described by Urdu expression: "Bari Der ki mehraban Atey Atey" (long time you took, my patron, in coming to my side)!

The confrontation between the NATO and Milosovic started right after Paris negotiations failed; on 18th March. The air strikes began from 24th March. In no time the electronic media was showing acts of atrocities, mass murders, forcible eviction of ethnic Albanian Muslims. Waves after waves of Kosova Albanians were seen running for safety to neighboring countries.

The OIC Contact Group met a fortnight after all these things had happened. Sad commentary on the lethargy of OIC leaders!

Obviously the OIC has no arrangement for sending a "fire brigade" in time to put off fires. However, Pakistan and Iran did react to the tragedy of Kosovan Muslims. Nonetheless, the outcome of the Contact Group's meeting is unclear. Was it mere statementing or some tangible and concrete actions were taken to provide humanitarian aid to the suffering Kosovan refugees?

Perhaps it will be agreed that priority for action by OIC are first refugees, second stopping their dispersal all over the West, so as to keep them as near the home as possible, third return of peace to Kosova and rehabilitation of the refugees in their homes in safety and honour, and finally conclusion of a political solution on the future of Kosova on a revised Paris Agreement, if necessary, to conform to the new realities on the ground. In these priorities, attempts should be concentrated simultaneously on two items, problems of refugees and immediate cessation of all hostilities on both sides. Political and NOT military solution of Kosova problem is required. It will be recalled that a general formula has evolved in the recent past that when ever there is an armed conflict between two countries cessation of hostilities and a return to negotiating table is demanded. This suggestion therefore accords with the established practice of resolution of conflicts.

In defining the task before OIC Contact Group and its leadership explanations are given below in terms of dynamics of diplomacy, which take the veil off the popular notions of the situation. Sometimes the reality is much different than it appears on the surface.

There is no indication that specific financial commitment was made to provide humanitarian aid to the refugees, to send medical teams right away, to set up an organization to erect temporary shelters, to supply food etc. This is the kind of help that should be sent without any further delay. It may not sound very dramatic like a declaration to send troops to Kosova, but it is a more solid help and far more required by these refugees than any thing else. It is also a Herculean task to make provision of such help. Words of sympathy may be music to their ears but no substitute for concrete aid. Hollow words do not feed, do not cure the sick, do not provide shelter to the shivering women, children, men lying in the open. Is an organization set up to fly medical teams and volunteers (nurses and doctors and NOT soldiers). Again there are lots and lots of "being done" "will be done" kind of palliative in announcements but nothing " has been sent" by OIC (excluding Pakistan).

As yet, OIC has not taken up the question of ethnic cleansing in the UN nor any Declaration of Heads of States of OIC has been issued demanding (a) a total stop to ethnic cleansing, (b) declaring that the international community represented in the UN will not recognize results of ethnic cleansing (c) demanding return of the refugees to their homes in peace and honour. One had hoped that the OIC Contact Group would have had such Declaration issued from Geneva. On the contrary, mysteriously Western countries are making plans to transfer bulk of these refugees to U.K., Germany, France and Italy, and dispersal seems to have begun. Interestingly US wants to "deport" them to Guantanamo Naval base in Cuba, as what, comfort things and cheap labour material to their GIs.

Does this dispersal not show that US and NATO countries do not put the prospects of return of refugees, or do not want the refugees to return to their countries in near future, or they do not want a quick end to the Kosova Crisis. They want Kosova to become another international crisis point, despite the use of massive force that the last decade of the twentieth century has produced. Why ? Is it NATO's version of ethnic cleansing? If so the suspicion that US-NATO want to eliminate a Muslim majority pocket from East Europe is strengthened.

We do not share NATO's strategic consensus or perspective in East Europe and the Balkans. It is possible that we have nothing in common except the desire for peace in Kosova and the Balkans, and the objective of establishing co-existence for the Muslims with non-Muslims in the Balkans.

In a recent interview in CNN, Kissinger predicted that after such massive expulsion (and its adverse repercussions on Albanian Muslims-Serb relations) the future of Kosova lies in becoming an autonomous area as a NATO-protectorate. Such a protectorate has not existed so far. It is a new idea. However, this could explain why elimination of Muslim Albanians from Kosova can be a common objective of both, NATO and Milosovic, for different reasons.

To have a NATO-protectorate in Balkans might be what US-West wish to have after the turn of events in East Europe, some former Warsaw Pact countries joining NATO, Albania turned its back on its communist past, parts of former Yugoslavia having turned to West and left Non Aligned Movement, etc.

NATO strikes are without any UN SC authorization, and as such have bypassed UN and put UN Charter in cold storage. Legality of any military action depends on UN authorization only under Chapter VII of the Charter. For small and medium powers UN Charter is the only guarantee against aggression from powerful circles.

Some suggestions have been made in Geneva and elsewhere "to supplement the on-going military action with OIC forces". One might ask whether NATO's the best forces in the world, the best air force in the world, which were set up and readied for a world war, when they are equipped with almost science fiction weapons need "supplementing" by any OIC forces. OIC troops or material will probably be outdated compared to the state of the art equipped NATO forces. For example, before the air force of any OIC country will be half way after taking off from the NATO base, NATO's most sophisticated airplane will be returning after completing their mission.

However, OIC can play a role in humanitarian, political and "peace keeping " tasks- that is on peace-making efforts and in solving problems of the refugees, if established with UN authority. Meanwhile, Milosovic should invite OIC fact finding team to Kosova to let them see for themselves what are the facts about ethnic cleansing. Alternatively, OIC should itself ask for it.

We have to do quickly what is best for Kosovan Muslims, as OIC's interest is only in them and not in NATO's military action. It is not quit clear whether it has not made a complicated situation more complicated. We have to put pressure from all sides on Milosovic to stop military action of all nature in Kosova and urge NATO to go for political action immediately. Otherwise like Palestinians, like Kashmiris, like Afghans, like Rawandans, and others, Kosovan Muslims refugees will become another homeless, rootless, vagabond people.

(Note: Dr. S. M. Koreshi was Pakisan's Ambassador to Yugoslavia and Albania for four years from 1980-84, and Chairman of the Group of (21) OIC Ambassadors to Yugoslavia)