EULEX DEPLOYMENT: FIRST DAYS CALM CHALLENGES AHEAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PRISTINA 000608 SIPDIS DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE NSC FOR HELGERSON USUN FOR GEE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL EAID KVPR SUBJECT: EULEX DEPLOYMENT: FIRST DAYS CALM CHALLENGES AHEAD Classified By: Ambassador Tina S. Kaidanow for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Following weeks of angst and recrimination over the UN/Belgrade "six-point" document, EULEX deployed throughout Kosovo on December 9 without incident. EULEX had 1,054 civilian police officers on the ground as of the first day, of which 84 officers were assigned to replace UNMIK police in the Mitrovica area. UNMIK stood down all but a small contingent of its police personnel at the end of the day on December 8, and EULEX assumed full policing responsibilities throughout Kosovo. END SUMMARY EULEX Fully Deployed -------------- ¶2. (C) EULEX's rule of law mission became operational at midnight on December 9, assuming UNMIK's previous civilian policing authority. Of the projected total 1390 civilian police officers, 1054 are on the ground and working across Kosovo. This total includes 453 officers in four Formed Police Units (FPU),responsible for crowd and riot control, provided by Poland, France, Romania and Italy. The last three FPUs transferred from UNMIK on December 9. On December 15, 131 new officers who entered EULEX orientation on December 9 will begin active duty. EULEX expects to reach its full operating capacity of 1,900 internationals, of which 1390 are police, and 1,100 local staff over the next several weeks. ¶3. (C) EULEX supplanted UNMIK police throughout all of northern Mitrovica on December 9, sending 84 personnel to replace UNMIK's current police presence of 146. Included in this initial plan were EULEX personnel for the north Mitrovica courthouse as well as police and customs officials stationed on the Kosovo-Serbia border at the border crossing gates 1 and 31. The customs monitors performed limited activities including checking registrations, contents of vehicles and other documentation but did not initiate collection of duties and tariffs. Officers are set in theory to assume full customs duties at these border crossings later in their deployment, though this could be sensitive from a security perspective and will have to be carefully undertaken. Residual UNMIK -------------- ¶4. (C) At midnight on December 9, UNMIK ceased active police operations and currently maintains a small contingent of police personnel for security purposes and specified handover duties. Residual UNMIK police operations include the following: -- 10 UNMIK police officers will maintain Kosovo's Interpol office while EULEX prepares to apply for an Interpol license and assume control of this office. -- 15 UNMIK police officers will provide law enforcement liaison with international organizations in Kosovo and maintain control of the ICTY's war crimes files. EULEX sources tell us that they are uncertain how or when war crimes files will transfer to EULEX given that the ICTY as a UN institution does not have a charter to conduct investigations with the European Union. -- 15 UNMIK personnel responsible for installing law enforcement IT systems throughout northern Kosovo, including the surveillance systems at border gates 1 and 31, will continue their activities. -- Five UNMIK officers will maintain the international police operations center during the thirty day out-processing period for UNMIK police. -- A Ukrainian FPU of approximately 115 personnel will provide ongoing site security for residual UNMIK police activities. They will no longer participate in police PRISTINA 00000608 002 OF 002 activities or provide emergency response to riots or social unrest. -- For 60 days following the December 9 transition, 60 UNMIK officers will remain in Kosovo to assist with logistical and personnel issues, chiefly repatriating UNMIK personnel whose contracts have terminated. After repatriating the officers, this administrative core will focus on finishing outstanding case investigations and turning over open files to EULEX personnel. Comment -------------- 5.(C) The first days of EULEX have been without incident, however, challenges remain. Rumors of demonstrations at Gates 1 and 31 on December 15 have surfaced, and there is always the risk of provocation by Kosovo Albanians such as the one who has recently begun reconstruction of his home in a sensitive part of north Mitrovica. The Embassy will remain engaged on these and other issues as EULEX deploys and establishes itself throughout Kosovo. KAIDANOW