Končulj Agreement

The Končulj Agreement is a colloquial name for two statements, the Basic UÇPMB statement signed about the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley, signed by the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa and Bujanovac (UÇPMB) and the Statement on conditional amnesty for members of the UÇPMB, signed by the Republic of Serbia within FR Yugoslavia in 2001. The Končulj Agreement is the first agreement related to this part of Serbia (Preševo, Medveđa, and Bujanovac).[1]

Basic UÇPMB statement signed about the Insurgency in the Preševo Valley
TypeCeasefire
Signed21 May 2001
LocationKončulj, Serbia, FR Yugoslavia
Signatories
Parties
LanguageEnglish
Statement on conditional amnesty for members of the UÇPMB
TypeCeasefire
Signed23 May 2001
Signatories
LanguageSerbian

It resulted in the full demilitarization, demobilization, and disarmament of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medveda, and Bujanovac.[1][2] It also calls for integration of ethnic Albanians into governmental, civic, economic, and police structures, and support from the international community to implement the so-called Čović Plan.[2]

The agreement ended the conflicts that spilled over from Kosovo, with political representatives from the local Albanians, Serbia, and Kosovo committing to demilitarization and demobilization of the UÇPMB.[1] The agreement was witnessed by Sean Sullivan, who was the NATO Head of Office in the FRY. According to that agreement, the Yugoslav Army was to enter Sector B of the Ground Security Zone by 31 May 2001.[3][4]

Background
Main article: Insurgency in the Preševo Valley

On June 12, 1999, one day after the end of the Kosovo War and the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement, the UÇPMB was founded by Shefket Musliu, an auto mechanic from Končulj, who was the highest commander in the UÇPMB. The UÇPMB attacked in the villages of Dobrošin and Konćulj. The UÇPMB attacked until the border with Macedonia[5] and continued to go north until the end with the eastern border with Kosovo.

The Yugoslav Army tried to take back some Serbian soldiers in Mid-November 2000, but they had to retreat following the kidnapping and killings of four policemen and two wounded policemen in the demilitarized zone,[6][7] allowing the UÇPMB to take one of the serb-held pockets.

Earlier in March 2001, NATO allowed Yugoslav forces to take back the Ground Safety Zone (GSZ) sector by sector in an attempt to decrease the amount of tense fighting between the ethnic Albanian separatists and MUP.[8] In mid-May 2001, 400 UÇPMB forces surrendered to KFOR, supposedly ending the war, but it continued until June 1, 2001 when it officially ended.[9][10] Low intensity skirmishes continued.

Provisions

The key provisions of the agreement were designed to do the following:

  • The full demilitarization, demobilization, and disarmament of the Liberation Army of Preševo, Medveđa, and Bujanovač (UÇPMB)
  • Integration of ethnic Albanians into governmental, civic, economic and police structures, and support from the international community to implement the so-called Čovic Plan
  • Stop the fighting in Preševo, Medveđa, and Bujanovac

References
  1. Kožul, Dejan (16 August 2021). "THE FORGOTTEN VALLEY". Kosovo 2.0.
  2. "PA-X: Peace Agreements Database". www.peaceagreements.org. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  3. "www.glas-javnosti.co.yu". arhiva.glas-javnosti.rs. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  4. "Ušli smo u ozloglašeno selo, rodni kraj teroriste, uoči "Dana Kapetana Lešija": Kada smo pitali Albance za njega, dobili smo jasan odgovor, na srpskom (FOTO)". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-08-22.
  5. "SNAGE BEZBEDNOSTI DO KRAJA DANA U ZONI BEZBEDNOSTI". B92. 25 March 2001.
  6. "Ceasefire agreed in southern Serbia". BBC News. 25 November 2000. p. 1.
  7. "Uhapšeni Albanci otimali i kasapili Srbe". HOBOTCИ. 4 May 2012. p. 1.
  8. "Ground Safety Zone (GSZ): Time out for rebel strong hold". OCHA Services. 1 Jun 2001. p. 1.
  9. "Mine kills Serb police". BBC News. 14 October 2001. p. 1.
  10. Yumpu.com. "NATO and the KLA TWO". yumpu.com. p. 134. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
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