Brussels, 21/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 17 September, Alexander Hug, the deputy chief monitor of the OSCE mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) told EUROPE that the ceasefire that has been in place since 1 September was holding “to a large degree” but that there were still ceasefire violations on a daily basis, mainly by small arms and small calibre mortars and mainly on the Donetsk site. Hug also called for the effective withdrawal of arms. (Interview conducted by Camille-Cerise Gessant)
A new cease fire is in place since 1st September. Is it respected since or is it still violated?
The cease fire should been in place since February. A reminder of this commitment has been issued by the Trilateral Contact Group and is since 1st September holding to a large degree. However it still sees cease fire violations on a daily basis mainly by small arms and small calibre mortars and mainly on the Donetsk site. And if, mainly at or around the Donetsk airport. There are days where there are several violations on Lugansk site but there are on regular basis violations on the Donetsk site.
We have seen a pick of violations on 15/16 of August. Since then until and including the 1st week of September, numbers of violations come down and it's slightly increased now. But increase is not related to heavy weapons but more small arms. It's not a dramatic increase; it's too early to say if there is a trend, or just a sporadic new pick. But it's nothing to compare with what it was a month ago.
The sides have a clear ability to control the cease fire, that's very important. But it also means that if they can switch off, the sides are able to turn it on again. They should do everything they can to prevent it.
Do you also see the withdrawal of arms?
The weapons that have been firing heavily at the middle of august are still at the contact line. We have seen some movements, not withdrawals, along and away from the contact line. We also still see weapons disappear from the holding areas behind the contact line with no possible explanation.
There are still weapons, heavy weapons. The sides have already agreed on them, they should be withdrawn. The tanks or the smaller calibre weapons also need to be withdrawn. The mission is at the moment functioning as the coordinator in the security working group in the format of the trilateral contact group to draft together with the sides a plan to which they will agree to withdraw them. There is still a lot of equipment along of the contact line that means the conflict can and could erupt at any moment again if these equipments are not withdrawn.
The cease fire is mission number 1 in the Minsk package, the mission number 2 would be the withdrawal. The sides should work and invest in withdrawing the weapons, all of them, and make sure the weapons not just have been moved away but remain in withdrawal.
When the president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko came to Brussels on August 27 he said the Ukrainian government is doing everything linked to the Minsk agreement. It is true?
The Ukrainian government has undertaken measures to fulfil its part of the Minks agreement. And for one it is controlling its troops at the contact line to a vast degree which is very important. But now the government must, as well as the rebels, implement the other measures as well in full.
Is the situation in Eastern Ukraine improving?
We should not be naïve now to believe that the relative calm at the contact is now the end of the conflict. Much more needs to be done to solidify the calm or the cease fire that we have now. Withdraw the weapons, dismantle the checkpoints, allow the civilians to cross the bridges, demining the areas, remove in general terms the military logic away from this contact line, and replaces it by the civilian logic so people can go back to their normal lives.
It's important because of the upcoming winter there is a lot of concerns among the civilian population, in these areas that have not sufficient services available to them including gas, electricity, they are tired of the conflict, they want it to end. The sides now need to implement all the measures that they are committed to make sure that the cease fire enables civilians to go back to their home.
In the interview on June 25 you said that the work of the OSCE mission on the ground was really complicated and that it was not possible for the mission to go to some part of the territory. Is it still the same situation?
It is still difficult but in parallel with the reduction of the fighting the number of incidents against us has been reduced so there is the parallel development. We are still been held up at checkpoints mainly in the rebel area, almost none in the government area. We are either delayed in our movements, our movements are made conditioned, by an escort or a certain direction we have to take, or we are fully prevented.