Belgrade To Investigate Albanians
 

Associated Press, Oct. 13, 1999

 
Belgrade To Investigate Albanians

The Associated Press
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1999; 6:00 p.m. EDT

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia –– The government of the largest district in the Yugoslav capital has instructed its police to investigate ethnic Albanians living in its territory.
     Quoting an official in the district of New Belgrade, the independent Beta news agency reported the municipality was "advised ... to check in detail all Albanian residents and tenants in apartment blocks there."
     The instructions, handed down from the municipality's Socialist local government, stressed that "male members of Albanian families," absent from the city during the NATO bombing campaign this spring "should be checked out in detail."
     The official reportedly behind the idea, Aleksandar Bozovic, said the action was a "precautionary measure necessary in politically unstable times."
     "The motive behind this was to prevent bombing attacks such as the recent ones in Moscow where explosive devices were planted in apartment buildings," Bozovic said. "We thought that, maybe, our Albanian neighbors, under orders from the Kosovo Liberation Army could begin such attacks."
     The instructions also specified all foreigners should be "checked out" and illegal tenants or residents reported to the police. The population was advised to aid local police in door-to-door checking of residents' identification, an action started last month.
     "Our goal is to remove everything undesirable," Bozovic said.
     The New Belgrade municipality has a population of about 25,000 and is located across the Danube and Sava rivers from the main part of Belgrade. It is controlled by loyalists of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
     Ethnic Albanians comprise Serbia's biggest minority – and more than a fifth of the 10 million population – but most live in the southern, U.N.-run province of Kosovo.
     Before Milosevic's ten-month crackdown last year against pro-independence Kosovo Albanians and the following NATO bombardment this spring, tens of thousands of Albanians lived for decades in the capital. Most were menial laborers. It is unclear how many remain.

© Copyright 1999 The Associated Press

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