Former head of the OSCE Verification Mission in Kosovo, William Walker, has revealed details about internal tensions with his former French deputy, Gabriel Keller, claiming that Keller frequently coordinated with authorities in Belgrade during the mission.
Walker stated in an interview with A2CNN that disagreements between him and Keller centered on their differing approaches to the situation on the ground in Kosovo. According to Walker, his deputy later went on to serve as France’s ambassador to Serbia, which he suggested reflected Keller’s diplomatic alignment.
“I had problems with my French deputy. He coordinated with Belgrade and later became France’s ambassador there. He believed I was exceeding my role by speaking openly and raising my voice,” Walker said.
Walker also described an incident involving Keller’s visit to Paris, during which a journalist reportedly claimed Walker had made inaccurate public statements. According to Walker, Keller later denied contradicting him and said the remarks had been misinterpreted by the media after returning to Prishtina.
“I never fully clarified whether the journalist misreported the story or if my deputy had made such statements. However, tensions between us remained because he believed I was biased,” Walker explained.
Walker rejected accusations of partiality, emphasizing that his public statements were based solely on what he personally witnessed during the conflict.
“What I said was based only on what I saw: I saw a massacre, a war crime,” he added.
The revelations highlight internal disagreements within the OSCE Verification Mission during a critical period of Kosovo’s recent history, shedding light on differing diplomatic perspectives regarding the conflict and its international oversight.
