Large number of mortar remains from Kosovo war have yet to be identified

This week marks the week's commemoration of the missing in Kosovo, and the parliamentary Commission has called for the first process to implement the law on the missing, where today it was discussed for them but the prime minister and some MPs were not present.

Legal Medicine Institute Director Arsim Gerjaliu has spoken of the challenges of identifying missing troops from the recent war in Kosovo.

Gerxhaliu told about these years, the issue of the missing remained a challenge for Kosovo, and the fate of over 1600 missing persons is still unknown. He said the mortore remains when identified, those related to the recent war will be maintained and preserved in Kosovo, but still no large number have been identified.

“Mby 2 thousand and 900 family members have given blood samples, but have not yet matched the mortore remains”, he said.

We beg family for blood, because we need their samples to identify. There are various cases, there are families that are hard to keep alive, some who don't want to give blood, they have their own personal reasons”, he said.

He said there are 260 pieces of bone in the human body, but the missing are known to have been buried and exhumed several times, making it even more difficult to identify.

We need to know that when we put the mortar waste, there was a lot. The request of various family members has been to start their analysis, namely bone parts”, he said.

Gerjali said further, procedures are needed to make control of various locations.

As for the mortore remains that were found in Gjakova, and are suspected to be Serb, Gerjaliu said they have not yet been identified.

We don't give such thoughts. All this is answered when those persons identify”, he said, added that mortar remains believed to be more than 3 people have been found.

Gerjaliu also said that DNA tests conducted in mortore waste are sent outside Kosovo, and these samples when sent to the laboratory are obtained that have been carried out by autopsy, and then the family is contacted.

Gerjaliu said Kosovo cannot do such DNA tests on its own because they have no opportunity.

“However, I believe that in a future we are in a phase to be carried out even in Kosovo. It's complicated work because a lot of” investment is required, he said.

He said Kosovo does not have a DNA study lab, though demand is great.

So far, DNA tests in the case of missing persons have been conducted outside Kosovo, mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to the lack of such a laboratory in Kosovo.

EULEX Mission request that the issue of the missing be primary, is also good and appropriate. E ULEX through a communique on the National Day of Undiscovered Persons has expressed sorrow over their fate and has suggested to Kosovo authorities that the issue become a priority.

Gerjaliu also, for the end, said the clothing and artifacts of mortore waste are in good condition and a location at constant temperature has been found and they are well preserved.