Five Irish officers who served in Kosovo with distinction retain OSCE links

Five Irish Army officers have a prominent role with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which it is expected will play a major role in implementing whatever Kosovo agreement emerges from the present conflict.

Brig Gen Dick Heaslip, Lieut Col Pat Hayes, Capt Pat Farrelly, Comdt Eamonn Smith and Comdt Mick Baston served with the OSCE in Kosovo until evacuation on March 20th. All are currently serving with the OSCE in Macedonia.

Brig Gen Heaslip, who is involved with the administration of Stenkovec refugee camp, explained that the Irish contribution to the OSCE verification mission to Kosovo was intended to rise to 30, including five Army officers, 25 military (mostly experienced NCOs) and Garda officers. But this plan was overtaken by events.

The five officers named above arrived in Pristina last December 9th as OSCE structures in the province were in their infancy. By mid-January there were about 1,000 organisation personnel working on the ground. When 45 people were massacred at Racak in Kosovo, the OSCE's role in a subsequent investigation increased tensions with the Belgrade authorities. At international level, the massacre persuaded the Contact Group (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy and Russia) to initiate peace talks in Rambouillet. As more information about what was happening on the ground emerged, concern increased at Belgrade's non-compliance with the Holbroke-Milosevic October accord. Reports of violations and violence increased. Then Rambouillet collapsed.

When that happened, the OSCE Kosovo verification mission began preparing plans for evacuation. There were fears that personnel might be held as hostages if they stayed on. The then Col Heaslip was placed in charge of organising the evacuation. His work and that of fellow Defence Force officers had already impressed senior OSCE personnel in Kosovo. In mid-February his immediate superior, Maj Gen John Drewienkewiz, deputy head of OSCE Mission Operation (a British army officer called DZ for short), and US ambassador Mr William Walker, head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo, recommended to Dublin that Col Heaslip be promoted. So he became a brigadier general.

In the middle of St Patrick's Day celebrations in Pristina on March 17th, Brig Gen Heaslip got word that the evacuation was on. He and an advance party went to Skopje in Macedonia to organise logistics and on March 20th the OSCE moved out of Kosovo completely. On March 24th, the day NATO began bombing Serbia, those Russians who were with the OSCE went home from Skopje. However, they still attend meetings at OSCE headquarters in Vienna.

OSCE personnel in Macedonia have since been redeployed to other activities, leaving a core of just 250, including all five Irish officers. These are currently involved in humanitarian work, assisting the UNHCR in dealing with the influx of refugees. This followed a request to the OSCE from Ms Ogata, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This new OSCE role is temporary and is expected to continue only while the war continues, pending a settlement. Then it is expected the OSCE will return to Kosovo to help implement that settlement.

All five officers have extensive experience of service abroad. Brig Gen Heaslip, who lives in Naas, has served with the UN in Cyprus, Lebanon and the Middle East. Lieut Hayes, from Limerick, has served in Cyprus, Lebanon and Cambodia. Capt Farrelly, who also lives in Naas, has served in Lebanon. Comdt Smith, from Newbridge, has served in Lebanon and Central America, while Comdt Baston, who lives in Cork, has been with the UN in Lebanon and the Western Sahara. For the foreseeable future, however, all will be serving with the OSCE in Macedonia.

It has been confirmed that the OSCE headquarters in Pristina has been destroyed.