Minister retracts statement made about mothers of missing persons in Kosovo

The Minister for Communities and Returns in Kosovo, Aleksandar Jablanovic, apologized for a statement he made almost two weeks ago which angered the families of missing persons and resulted in protests in a number of cities around Kosovo.

Jablanovic's statement concerned a recent incident when a bus with about 40 displaced Serbs was stoned during a protest of Albanian mothers of missing persons in front of an Orthodox Church in Gjakova/Djakovica on the Orthodox Christmas Eve.

Jablanovic called the women protesters "beasts" for preventing Serbs from visiting their burnt out houses.

Jablanovic insisted he had been misunderstood and that it was not his intention to insult anyone when he commented on the attack on displaced Serbs visiting the western Kosovo town of Gjakova/Dakovica on Jan. 6.

"Let me take this opportunity and apologize to all the women who, during the 1998/99 war, lost their loved ones. But, I want to say that my previous statement was not directed against them ... However, if someone felt insulted and harmed, I apologize," said Jablanovic on Monday at a press conference in Pristina after a meeting of the Kosovo authorities.

Thousands of people gathered in a protest in Gjakova/Dakovica on Saturday asking for Jablanovic's dismissal. It remains to be seen if Jabloanovic's apology will prevent another big protest scheduled this week in Pristina.

Jablanovic is a senior member of Srpska List, which is currently the main Serbian political party in Kosovo, as it has the support of the Serbian government. Since December 2014, Srpska List has been a partner in the ruling broad coalition of two major Albanian parties in the Kosovo authorities.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008. Serbia categorically refuses to recognize its independence. Endit