"I HAD TO RUN WITH PAINS, MY BABY DIED WHILE DELIVERING"

                                      by Sevdie AHMETI, a Human Rights activist
                                      The Center for the Protection of Woman and Children, Prishtina, Kosova
                                       received  Tue, 2 Mar 1999

 
"I HAD TO RUN WITH PAINS, MY BABY DIED WHILE DELIVERING"

NEW AREA IN WAR WITH A NEW FLOW OF IDPs

Kacanik
1 March, 1998

Kacanik is situated South from Prishtine. It is a very old town with a castle not taken care of, but very old, dating from ancient history. The site is one of the poorest areas in Kosova. The whole population of this place, some 70% of them were employed at the Cement Factory in Hani i Elezit, South from Kacanik, bordering with Macedonia. The land is not fertile. The great majority of the population is Albanian.

After the introduction of coercive measures, actually after the abolition of the Constitution of Kosova by force, all the workers at the factory were dismissed forcefully, and all of the sudden the whole population became very poor. It is one of the most endangered areas.

Due to the geographical position, this town takes part into the Alpine climate areas, sharp and very good to be treated if the conditions existed. Yet, the sharp climate without proper food can also be dangerous for the population, which is now undergoing the epidemics, the massive tuberculosis disease.

Today, this town has 10,000 IDPs from the villages affected by war. So far the most Southern part of Kosova was not affected by any kind of war, but now, huge VJ army forces control the vital highway linking with Macedonia. Skirmishes were reported these days all along the area, therefore the residents of the villages affected by war, being intimidated, fearing from a possible massacre, had to flee their homes. They refuged to poor Kacanik, which cannot bread its own residents.
 

Hani i Elezit town,
most South from Prishtine
1 March, 1999

Hani i Elezit (Deneral Jankovic in Serbian) has altogether with its five villages some 9000 inhabitants. Its mountainous villages were attacked by Serb forces, at first by Serb paramilitary forces. All the residents fled for life where they thought it was best, they were heading for Macedonia. Serb authorities did not let the three thousand IDPs to cross the border. With machine-guns pointed at them, IDPs were forced after some six hours to return back to Hani i Elezit, where they are now refuging. On the way to this small town, VJ army forces were patrolling the highway, and some of them were positioned right after the exit of the first tunnel where the mined bridge is situated, aiming at the mountain on the right side.
 

ACCOUNTS OF IDP WOMEN

BEDRIJE SHITI (40) mother of five, from Dimce village

"I was having pains to deliver my baby when we were forced to leave the village. We heard the severe shooting, we saw tanks and army running straight to the village. We fled as we were. I was with pains and I had to run, I had to save the lives of my children. We decided to go to Macedonia, to a safer area. Pains started at 02.30 CET, and in that stage we had to run in the morning. I could not walk, but I had to, who could carry me. At the border, I started to deliver the baby and guns were pointed on our heads. I gave birth to a dead girl. She died because I was scared and faced the hard time. She was alive when the pains started, I could feel her.

We decided to come back to the village. I am so afraid for my other children. Look at the army moving around. Look at them, what are we going to say now. They see you. They are watching you. They will ask us what we told you. My God, how scared I am...Only 100 meters away from our home we have mines planted one year now. Look at the tanks..."
VILLAGE OF DIMCE IS SURROUNDED BY THE VJ ARMY FORCES. IT IS BORDERING WITH MACEDONIA. TANKS COULD BE SEEN FROM CLOSE DISTANCE. SO FAR ONLY TWO FAMILIES ARE BACK AT THE VILLAGE. BEDRIJE'S CHILDREN LOOKED VERY FRIGHTENED. (Remarks of the reporter)
 

FAHRIJE KUKA (52) comes from Secishte village. She says:

"Attacks mounted at our village. Serb paramilitaries came in plain clothes. They were camouflaged in plain clothes. We know them, because they are stationed at the barns of the Factory. We knew their faces. UCK was following the situation. After identifying them, they shot in the air and warned them not to proceed. After some while, we saw Serb forces approaching to the village, we got scared, so all we did at the moment, we took our children and started to run away. We were told that we could go to Macedonia. Our village is 3 km. away from Hani i Elezit. It was 10.00 CET when we reached the border line, but we were stopped. They prevented us from going further. We were not allowed to cross the border. Every 30 minutes police would order us either to leave, or else, they would shoot at us. We stayed there yesterday 28 February, waiting to cross and flee for life from 10.00 till 16.00 hours CET. At the beginning there were only 3 policemen, afterwards they called with talkee walkee new forces to come, so after a while we had more and more police aiming weapons at us."
 

NAZIFE SHKRETA (16), from Secishte village:

"We ran away from our Secishte village furtively. We were running downwards in fear. I saw an old man near the Secishte bridge. He was looking at us, when all of a sudden I saw the police forces going directly to him and they abducted him. Police forced him to a car without plates and headed to the direction of Kacanik. No one knows what happened to the abducted old man.

We had to flee for life. We were in grave fear that there might happen a same massacre as the one in Recak. All we could do at the moment was to release the animals. At the border, police ordered us to either walk back or they would kill us. They said "We are going to call the army now, and they will know what to do with you". Paramilitaries with camouflaged faces were all the time looking at us from the factory site."
 

GANIMETE DERMJANI (20), mother of one, from Polivodenice village:

"Polivodenice village is surrounded from three sides. Only the road to Hani i Elezit is free. When we saw the movements of huge VJ forces and when we heard the shooting, all of us were scared. We were in panic. We were forced to flee for life. It is almost one year that we are being sealed off. There was no minute that we would forget what was our position, and how far we could continue like this. We were endangered one year with the huge presence and provocation of the Serb police and VJ. We were expecting attacks every minute. Last Sunday, police forces, heavy weaponed and with armored vehicles came. They killed the human rights activist GAFURR LOKU together with his son DRITON. The killing was unexpected. Gafurr was a very respected man, he was reporting the human rights abuses. Police broke into his house yard, called his name, his son looked outside who was calling, they took forcefully his son and wanted to abduct him, but as Driton tried to run away, they shot him from close distance with two bullets and then when Gafurr came on the spot, they simply assassinated him with their machine-guns. The killing of the two, was a message to us what was to happen next. Those who killed Gafurr and Driton came with two armored vehicles without plates on them. Police was camouflaged and with masks on their faces. We think Gafurr was killed on purpose. Their aim was to introduce the start of war, and they did. Look at us now. All we have is our bare life and nothing else. My mother-in-law went back to the village today to see how my father-in-law was, and she told us that the whole village looks scary, every single house is looted.

We were prevented from fleeing to Macedonia. There is a way to, but we do not have money. We can cross the border through the mined mountains, but we have to pay the Yugoslav soldiers with 100 DM for every person. Only yesterday, those who had money with them crossed the border that way. At least 100 of them paid the pass to the soldiers 100 DM each. The exit is through Blace village, bordering with Macedonia. Mind you, all the surrounding of the village is planted with mines by the VJ army."
 

Reported and accounts registered by,
Sevdie Ahmeti

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