Program for the Solution of the Crisis in the Pcinja District (Covic Plan)

• Country/entity

  Serbia
  Yugoslavia (former)
  Presevo Valley
  
• Region

  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  Europe and Eurasia
  
• Agreement name

  Program for the Solution of the Crisis in the Pcinja District (Covic Plan)
• Date

  1 Feb 2001
• Agreement status

  Agreement with subsequent status
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( Balkan Conflicts (1991 - 1995) (1998 - 2001) )
• Stage

  Framework/substantive - partial
• Conflict nature

  Government/territory
• Peace process

  Presevo Valley process
• Parties

  Unsigned, but parties listed as the Governments of the Republic of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
  The Albanian ethnic community in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  The Program for the Solution of the Crisis in the Pcinja District (also known as the Covic Plan) was proposed by the governments of the Republic of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, with Annex 5: Agreement on the solution of the crisis in Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja municipalities as the proposed agreement. Whilst the plan was never signed, it was provisionally accepted by some members of the Albanian community leadership in the Valley, and became the basis of later unilateral ceasefire agreements signed by the UCPMB, facilitated by representatives of NATO. The provisions and principles of the plan to integrate Albanians into Serbian political and socio-economic structures subsequently became the underlying mandate of the Co-ordination Body for the Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja municipalities after the cessation of UCMPB's armed campaign.

• Agreement document

  RS_010201_Program for the Solution of the Crisis in the Pcinja District (Covic Plan).pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

PROGRAM AND PLAN FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CRISIS IN PRESEVO, BUJANOVAC AND MEDVEDJA MUNICIPALITIES

Annex 5:

Agreement on the solution of the crisis in Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja municipalities

This Agreement is concluded between:

The Governments of the Republic of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and

The Albanian ethnic community in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

The implementation of this Agreement is supported and in the framework of the Joint Commission guaranteed by the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations.

1. The subject of this Agreement is the solution of the crisis in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja, in a peaceful way.

2. The Parties to the Agreement agree that the common objectives for the solution of the crisis are:

a) The establishment of the respect of the constitutional-legal order, i.e. of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on that part of their territory, and the assurance of full normalization of work of the organs of the state, of the organs of local self-government and of other legal organs in that territory;

b) The establishment of full personal security and security of property of all citizens and of full and undisturbed freedom of their movement in all parts of the territory of these municipalities, which shall be assured by the complete disbanding and disarmament of the extremists, by the restoration of security and peace in the region, and by making possible the return of all citizens - refugees to their households;

c) The development of multiethnic and multiconfessional society based on democratic principles with the respect of all human, political and minority rights and liberties according to the highest standards;

d) Prosperous and rapid economic and social development of the region with international financial assistance in the best interest of all citizens who live in the region.

3. The Parties to the Agreement are agreed:

a) That the crisis be resolved in a peaceful way, by political-diplomatic means and by dialogue.

b) That the Albanian ethnic community gives up its requests which imply autonomy, special status for those municipalities, or the change of the borders of the Republic of Serbia, and accepts that the solution of the crisis be in the framework of the present constitutionally arranged order of the Republic of Serbia.

c) That the Government of the Republic of Serbia undertakes the obligation to integrate the Albanians in the socio-political and economic system of Serbia and ensures the exercise of all their rights, including the rights in the framework of local self-government.

d) That they undertake to ensure the complete implementation of this Agreement and to affirm its consistent implementation.

e) That they undertake to ensure free access to the endangered area to all announced and accredited representatives of humanitarian organizations, organizations for human rights, monitoring missions of the international community, and of the media.

4. The objectives referred to in article 2 of this Agreement, with the respect of the provisions of article 3 of this Agreement, shall be fulfilled:

1. By the restoration of security and peace in the region;

2. By the integration of the Albanians in the socio-political and economic system of Serbia;

3. By the economic and social development of the region.

5. The restoration of security and peace in the region shall be achieved by the complete disarmament and disbanding of the armed extremist organizations and groups, and by the withdrawal of the extraordinarily engaged special military and police forces from the region, according to a separate Plan (Annex Sb), according to the following schedule:

• within 2 months 10%

• within 4 months 100%

6. The integration of the Albanians in the socio-political and economic system of the Republic of Serbia shall be achieved according to a separate Plan of Integration (Annex 5a), according to the following schedule:

• within 2 months 10%

• within 4 months 20%

• within 8 months 40%

• within 24 months 100%

7. The economic and social development of the region shall be achieved according to a separate Plan of Development (Annex 5c), according to the following schedule:

• within 2 months 5%

• within 4 months 10%

• within 8 months 30%

• within 36 months 100%

8. A Joint Commission of the Parties to the Agreement and of the representatives of the international community shall be established for the implementation and verification of the fulfilment of the provisions of this Agreement.

9. If the organizations and groups of armed extremists do not accept the disarmament and disbanding of the extremist organization, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia shall continue the implementation of the provisions of article 4 paragraphs 2) and 3) of this Agreement until the level of 10%, and the competent international organizations shall ensure that the UNSC and KFOR, in accordance with article 1 paragraph 4 a) and article 5 of the Annex B of the Military Technical Agreement, force the armed extremists to withdraw from the GSZ, or give the approval to the Yugoslav security forces to do that by entering and staying in the GSZ.

ADDENDA:

Annexes 5a-5d (4)

Done at ______ on _____ 2001

For the Governments of the FRY and of the RS [unsigned]

For the Albanian ethnic community [unsigned]

For the international community [unsigned]

Annex 5a:

Plan of the integration of the Albanians into the political, government and social system of the Republic of Serbia

The integration of the Albanians into the political, government and social system of the Republic of Serbia and of municipalities would be achieved by the following tasks:

1. The harmonization of the ethnic composition of the executive boards of the municipal assemblies, by appointing the members of the Albanian ethnic community to offices proportionally to the ethnic structure of the population of the municipality.

Result:

Decision of the MA

Charged with the task:

Presidents of the MA

Deadline:

S + 30

2. Starting the initiative for the change of the laws on elections and on local self-government in order to ensure the representation of the Albanians in the municipal assemblies and in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, which would correspond to the ethnic structure of the population in the Republic and in the municipalities.

Result:

Changes of laws

Motion for the changes:

The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Condition:

The achievement of the demilitarization of the first zone (Annex Sb)

Deadline:

S + 60

3. The harmonization of the ethnic structure of the employees in the police, judiciary, health services, education, local self-government, economy (including the harmonization of the ethnic structure of the managers).

Result:

Hiring and giving jobs to the Albanians

Charged with the task:

Competent organs

Condition:

That they fulfill the legal conditions

Deadline:

S + 60, others pursuant to Annex 5, article 5.

4. Increased control of the legality of the work of the police and of other organs, with emphasis on the violation of human rights of Albanians by state organs

Result:

- Efficient reacting to justified complaints and grievances of the citizens

- Information of the public and of the damaged persons

Charged with the task:

Competent organs

Deadline:

Permanent task, first report S + 30 days

5. Full freedom of access to every part of the territory for the representatives of the organizations for human rights, and opening of offices for human rights in local communities.

Result:

Opening of the offices

Charged with the task:

Coordinating Body, police, local self-government

Condition:

Registering of the organization

Deadline:

Immediately

6. Engagement of ethnically mixed police patrols and other police units in actions undertaken in the places with Albanian population.

Result:

Ethnically mixed patrols in villages populated by Albanians

Charged with the task:

Responsible chief of the police

Condition:

Number of employed Albanian policemen

Deadline:

Corresponding to the implementation of the tasks mentioned under 3, after the fulfilment of all security conditions.

All entities in charge of the tasks in this Plan shall make their separate plans of implementation.

The reports on the fulfilment of the tasks shall be submitted to the Coordinating Body after the fulfilment, at least once a month.

ADDENDUM:

Plans of entities in charge of the tasks 1-6 (Addenda 5a/1 - 5a/6)

Annex 5b:

Plan of the restoration of security and peace in the municipalities Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja

The restoration of security and peace in the region shall proceed with the support of and in cooperation with the representatives of the international community in territorial zones (Addendum 5b/1)).

The complete, verifiable and verified demilitarization zone is the necessary condition for the demilitarization of the next zone.

The restoration of security and peace implies:

1. Complete and durable cessation of terrorist acts, disarmament of the extremists and disbanding of their organization with the destruction of fortification facilities and handing over of the armament and equipment;

2. The withdrawal of extraordinarily engaged, separate and special military and police forces, the return or remaining of the regular police of ethnically mixed composition in the territory (stations patrols and other forms of regular work), and of peacetime military units, including the border units;

3. The unblocking of the traffic lines, the free movement of all citizens and the free return of displaced persons to their households.

4. Amnesty of criminal responsibility for terrorism and "pacification", i.e. the "recycling" of the terrorists into civilians, with full freedom of their movement, provided they have not committed concrete acts of violence until the end of this phase.

The restoration of security and peace shall proceed according to the following plan:

1. Zone 1 includes Lucane and Veliki Trnovac, and it shall be demilitarized according to the following sequence of activities:

• the terrorists shall leave Lucane, and hand over the armament and equipment;

• the intervention police shall leave the houses in Lucane, and hand over the property to the owners, and shall withdraw to the station on the entrance to Lucane from Bujanovac;

• the local police shall enter Lucane (if possible, in ethnically mixed composition);

• the terrorists shall leave Veliki Trnovac, and hand over the armament and equipment;

• the local police shall enter Veliki Trnovac;

• the YA shall withdraw the tanks and the heavy artillery from the line V. Trnovac-Lucane and around Bujanovac and leave the schools, factories and other public buildings in Presevo and Bujanovac;

• the refugees shall return to their homes;

• the road Bujanovac-Gnjilane shall be unblocked without control of travellers and vehicles by the terrorists after the unblocking;

• the Joint Commission for the implementation and verification of the Agreement (para.

8, annex 5) shall verify the demilitarization of this zone and continue the inspection.

Result:

Verified demilitarization - disarmament

Charged with the task:

Joint Commission for the implementation and verification of the Agreement

Deadline:

until S + 15

2. Zone II includes the northern part of the GSZ from the G. Vrtogos-Karacevo road (Car, Ravno Bucje, Djordjevac, Muhovac, Pribovce and Zarbince), and it shall be demilitarized according to the following sequence of activities:

• the terrorists shall leave the zone and hand over the armament and equipment;

• the intervention police and the army shall leave the zone;

• the local police, if possible with ethnically mixed composition shall enter the zone;

• the refugees shall return, undisturbed, to their homes;

• the Joint Commission shall verify the demilitarization of the zone and continue the inspection.

Deadline:

S + 61 to S + 70

3. Zone III includes the area from the line south of the road Lucane-Konculj two kilometers until the zone 2 (Konculj, M. Trnovac, Breznica) and it shall be demilitarized according to the following sequence of activities:

• the terrorists shall leave the zone and hand over the armament and equipment;

• the army and the intervention police shall leave the police station at the entrance into Lucane;

• the local police, of mixed ethnic composition, shall enter the zone and establish a station behind Konculj;

• the refugees shall return, undisturbed, to their homes;

• the Joint Commission shall verify the demilitarization of the zone and continue the inspection.

Deadline:

S + 71 to S + 80

4. Zone IV includes the area from the border with Macedonia to the road Presevo-Mucibaba-Gnjilane (the area of the Presevo Karadak), and shall be demilitarized according to the following sequence of activities:

• the terrorists shall leave the zone and hand over the armament;

• the intervention police and army shall leave the zone, except the station Cerevajka;

• the local police with mixed ethnic composition shall enter the zone;

• the refugees shall return:

undisturbed, to their homes;

• the Joint Commission shall verify the demilitarization of this zone and continue the inspection.

Deadline:

S + 81 to S + 90.

5. Zone V includes the area from the road Presevo-Mucibaba-Gnjilane to the Bercevska river (Madeere, Ilince, Gospodjince, Bukovac, Bercevac, G. Susaja), and shall be demilitarized according to the same procedure as the fourth zone.

Deadline:

S + 90 to S + 100

6. Zone VI includes the area between the first, third and fifth zones and to the east of them and of the fourth zone, until the villages not populated by Albanians (Dobrosin, Vrban, Presevo, Bujanovac, all villages to the west of the road Vranje-Skoplje and the villages populated by Albanians to the east of that road) and the demilitarization shall proceed according to the principle of demilitarization of zone 2.

Deadline:

S + 101 to S + 110

7. Zone VII includes the part of the territory of the Medvedja municipality populated by Albanians (Tupale, Grbavce, Svirce, Kopit, Sijarina, Ravna, Banja, Djelekare, Stara Banja, Sijarinska Banja and G. Lapasnik) and it shall be demilitarized according to the principle of demilitarization of zone 2.

Deadline:

S + 111 to S + 115

8. After the demilitarization of the entire region, which shall be confirmed in writing to both sides by the Joint Commission for the implementation and verification of the Agreement, the extraordinarily engaged police and military units shall withdraw from the territories of the municipalities Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, except the local police (as a rule, with ethnically mixed composition) and of regular peacetime military units, which shall continue their regular activities, including the duties of the police and army at the administrative line with K&M.

Deadline S + 116 to S + 120

9. After the completion of the demilitarization the reconstruction of the demolished houses of the Albanians shall start, according to Annex 5c.

ADDENDUM:

Map - review of the demilitarization zones (addendum 5b/1).

Addendum 5b/1a:

Restoration of security and peace in the region includes:

I

1. Complete and durable cessation of terrorist acts.

2. Unblocking of all communication lines and cessation of control of the travellers by the extremists.

3. Disarmament of the extremists and handing over and destruction of their armament and equipment.

4. Disbanding of the armed extremist groups.

5. Destruction of the fortifications of the extremists.

II

1. The withdrawal of the extraordinarily engaged separate and special police units.

2. The withdrawal of the extraordinarily engaged military forces to the barracks and to the areas of peacetime deployment.

3. The remaining or return of the local police of nationally mixed composition and the continuation of their regular tasks in the demilitarized zones.

4. The remaining of the peacetime (local) military units including the border units and the continuation of their regular activities in the demilitarized zones.

III

1. Full freedom of movement of all citizens.

2. Free return of all displaced persons to their households.

3. Amnesty from criminal responsibility because of terrorism and "pacification" i.e. "recycling" of the extremists, if they did not commit concrete acts of violence.

Addendum 5b/1b:

The procedure for restoration of security and peace in zones

A) ZONE I (Lucane-V. Trnovac):

1. The extremists shall leave Lucane and hand over their armament and equipment.

2. The intervention police shall leave the houses in Lucane and withdraw to the station at the entrance to Lucane.

3. The local police shall enter Lucane.

4. The extremists shall leave V. Trnovac and hand over their armament and equipment.

5. The local police shall enter V. Trnovac.

6. The YA shall withdraw the tanks and heavy artillery from the line V. Trnovac - Lucane and around Bujanovac.

7. The refugees shall return to their homes.

8. The road Bujanovac--Gnjilane shall be unblocked.

B) OTHER ZONES (II-VII):

1. The extremists shall leave the zone and hand over their armament and equipment.

2. The intervention police and army shall leave the zone.

3. The local police and the peacetime effectives of the YA shall enter, i.e. stay in the zone.

4. The refugees shall return, undisturbed, to their homes.

Addendum 5b/1c:

Schedule of the restoration of security and peace [table detailing number of days for each zone]

Annex 5c:

Plan of economic and social development of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja municipalities

The economic and social development of the region, with international financial assistance, includes planned investments of the FRY and of the RS in the development of livestock breeding, fruit growing, forestry and other economic branches, the construction of roads, water supply, electric and telephone infrastructure and the reconstruction of households for the return and accommodation of displaced Albanians and Serbs.

The economic and social development of the region would start immediately and it would be implemented within 3 years, according to the plans and priorities established by the municipal assemblies;

the financial means planned according to the addendum 5b/1 would be ensured according to the following schedule:

• for the first two two-month phases 10%

• then annually 30%

• by the end of 36 months 100%

The decisions on the use of financial means and the responsibility for the purposeful use of those means shall be the duty of the municipal assemblies and of their development directorates, while the Coordinating Body and the Directorate for Development of the Republic of Serbia would have the right of inspection.

The two first two-month phases and the ensuring of 10% of the financial means would be unconditional, and the continuation of the funding would be conditioned by verifiable and verified complete disbanding of the terrorist organization and the disarmament of the Albanian extremists in the region, according to Annex 5b.

Addenda:

- Consolidated list of necessary finances (addendum 5c/1)

- Consolidated list of the scope of the works (addendum 5c/2)

- List of the works and necessary finances by municipalities (addendum 5c/3)

Annex 5d:

Schedule on of the implementation of the tasks in the solution of the crisis in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja municipalities [table version of previous Annexes]