The Coordinator of the Working Group for Chapter 35 of the National Convention on the European Union, Dragiša Mijačić, together with a group of intellectuals, launched a petition for the return of the monument to the fallen Serbian soldiers 1912-1918 in the military cemetery in Pristina, which was recently moved at the initiative of the French embassy in Kosovo.
„We launched a petition for the return of the monument to the fallen Serbian soldiers 1912 – 1918 at the military cemetery in Pristina, and we need your support,“ Mijačić announced on the X social network.
You can find the petition here.
In his announcement, he emphasized that he believes that the relocation of the memorial to Serbian soldiers who died in World War I at the Pristina cemetery – „is among the most disgraceful events of French modern history.“
Moreover, he called on the French foreign minister, Catherine Colonna, to react.
„The silence of Olivier Guerot and the French Embassy in Kosovo on their role in this shameful act is unacceptable.“
In the text of the petition, which has been signed by more than 2,000 people so far, in addition to the request to return the monument to its original place, a public apology from the two ambassadors, French and German, is also demanded.
“Deeply disturbed by the news that the monument to Serbian soldiers from the wars of 1912-1918 at the military cemetery in Pristina was moved at the initiative of the French ambassador Olivier Guérot and the German ambassador Jörn Rohde, the Serbian community in Kosovo calls on all interested parties to support the petition for the return of the monument to its previous place, and for the two ambassadors to publicly apologise for their thoughtless act,” reads the text of the launched petition.
The French and German ambassadors explained the relocation of this monument by saying that a new monument has now been installed, which memorializes the sacrifice of all French soldiers in Kosovo at the initiative of the French Embassy, and that „subsequently the stele in homage to the Serbian soldiers was moved only a few meters, with the greatest respect.”
In a statement for KoSSev, Mijačić says that this explanation motivated them to launch the petition.
„The explanation of the two ambassadors about the reasons for such a shameful act additionally motivated us to launch a petition and ask for the support of the citizens for the clear demands that were put forward, which is the return of the monument to its original place and the ambassador’s public apology for their actions,“ Mijačić told KoSSev.
He added that the results of the petition will be forwarded to the embassies of France and Germany in Pristina, their ministries of foreign affairs, as well as the media.
He also says that he will discuss this „unreasonable act“ at international conferences and forums, as well as at meetings with diplomats and international representatives.
„We will also inform the veterans’ associations, as well as all other relevant factors that deal with such issues,“ he said.
In his words, the relocation of this monument is not in the spirit of European values that France and Germany „declaratively stand for“, nor is it in accordance with „the principles of the rule of law that they insist on“.
At the same time, Mijačić hopes that the ambassadors of these two countries will send instructions for returning the monument to its place and „apologize for their unacceptable actions.“
If the monument is not returned, he emphasizes, pressure will be placed on the governments of these two countries to „correct the actions of their ambassadors“.
„We will not stop reminding them that their actions go against all moral, social and civilizational norms. We will certainly put pressure on the governments of France and Germany to correct the actions of their ambassadors. The monument must be returned to its old place, this is the only way to end this shameful story of French and German diplomats,“ Mijačić concluded in a statement for KoSSev.
The monument to Serbian soldiers caught the media and public’s attention last weekend, when a photograph taken at this year’s Armistice Day commemoration, unlike previous years, revealed that the monument was no longer in the same place.
In the meantime, information emerged that it has been moved aside, the news was first confirmed by the Diocese of Raska-Prizren, which expressed concern but also suspicion that this was a case of rewriting history, that is, an attempt to „obfuscate the indisputable truth about the participation and historical role of the Serbian people in these areas“.
The parish priest of Pristina, Staniša Arsić, told the media that he reported the case to the police, claiming that the relocation of the memorial plaque was done by order of the French embassy in Pristina, which was then confirmed by the French and German embassies in a joint statement to KoSSev.
They stated that the ceremony marking Armistice Day was tainted by controversy in certain media in Kosovo, precisely because of this monument honoring the Serbian soldiers who died between 1912 and 1918.
And the controversy, they believe, was unworthy of the memory of all the soldiers – French, German and Serbian, who died in World War I, but also „18 French soldiers who died during their service for KFOR, in the protection of all communities in Kosovo“.
They also announced that a new monument has now been installed, which recalls the sacrifice of all French soldiers in Kosovo, and that the monument dedicated to Serbian soldiers was “subsequently moved, just a few meters away“, and that „no body was moved“.
While the embassy claims that they moved the monument „with the utmost respect“, this decision was met with condemnation and criticism from the Serbian public, as well as political officials.
Serbian users of social networks also criticized the move of the French embassy and demanded that the memorial be returned to its original place.
The Kosovo Office also reacted, alleging that the relocation of the monument is „an attempt to eradicate all traces of Serbian existence in Kosovo and Metohija and to brutally rewrite history.“
The Serbian Democracy party said that it was a case of „rewriting history“, stating that „we are witnessing another in a series of injustices against the Serbian people in Kosovo“.
Read more:
Public letter to the French ambassador
German and French Ambassadors Mark Armistice Day, but where is Monument to Serbian Soldiers?
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
