Tagesnachrichten 30. Juli 1998
von ALBANEWS und anderen
Daily Report No 1506 July 30, 1998
Kosova Information Center
Tagesnachrichten 30. Juli 1998
7. to call on the Commission and the Council to provide all necessary humanitarian aid to the victims of and the refugees from the acts of violence and call on member states to stop returning refugees and asylum seekers to Kosova where protection cannot be guaranteed;________________________________________________________________________
Augsburger Allgemeine 9. Juli 1998:
Still there is no stop of deportations !
newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine reports on July
9, 1998
Serb Military Offensive against Border Area Villages in Deçan and Gjakova Continues
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - A large-scale Serbian
military offensive has been underway against the Kosovar border villages
in the municipality of Gjakova and Deçan for five days now. Serb
troops have been closing in on the huge village of Junik, which lies between
Deçan and Gjakova, seen as an UÇK stronghold. There are thousands
of civilians inside the village, though.
A Serb army colonel and many soldiers have been
killed in the fighting of the past four days in the Junik area, local Albanian
sources claim.
There have been attempts to evacuate the civilian
population of the besieged Junik. Some 2,000 civilians are in the Bjeshkët
e Nemuna mountains, being targeted by the Serb artillery, local Albanian
sources said. The civilian population on the move towards other Deçan
villages is under constant threat, too.
There was sporadic fighting in the villages of
Strellc i Epërm, Carrabreg i Poshtëm, Prejlep and Rastavicë,
in the municipality of Deçan.
Meanwhile, heavy Serb troops - military, paramilitary
and police - with heavy artillery and infantry units have been engaged
in a large-scale offensive against the Reka e Keqe border villages in the
municipality of Gjakova: Nec, Morinë, Smolicë, Stubëll,
Berjahë, Nivokaz.
Serb army helicopter flew low overhead the town
of Gjakova today, before heading towards the battlefields, local sources
said.
There is a huge displacement of the population
in the region. Many of the people have been on the surrounding mountains,
with miserable or now conditions for life.
Two Explosions Occur in Prishtina Overnight
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - There were two explosions
in the Dardania neighborhood of the capital Prishtina last night, an eye-
witness told the KIC today (Thursday). The first occurred twenty minutes
past midnight, the second ten to fifteen minutes later, he said.
The sound of explosions was heard in the entire
Dardania neighborhood, which has some 30.000 inhabitants. There was no
material damage, though.
The eye-witness who spoke to the KIC said the
first blast occurred in between two blocks of flats, numbered 7 and 9,
respectively, in front of a warehouse of household appliances owned by
an Albanian, "Ismajli".
"A car, probably BMW, with a light color, stood
for some ten minutes after midnight in front of Block 7, with lights turn
off", the eye-witness told the KIC. The car left then, to only return in
a couple of minutes. "Now it was between the blocks, again with the lights
turned off". After a while, a man got out of the car, whose front was towards
the road, the eye-witness said. "A few seconds later, a loud explosion
was heard." He said that when he peered from the window to see what had
happened, the car was no longer there.
The eye-witness and some residents of the neighborhood
claimed they had seen the very same car driving speedily along blue police
cars, and other 'civilian' cars, which apparently belonged to the Serb
security. (Even a white van with a TV sign drove through Dardania, along
the Prishtina-Fushë Kosova road, after the explosion.) A second explosion
was heard ten to fifteen minutes later, probably along the Prishtina-Fushë
Kosova ('Kosovo Polje') road.
The Dardania residents and the eye-witness who
revealed to the KIC details surrounding the first explosion said the two
blasts might have been orchestrated by the Serb police/security.
In the first floor of Block 7, Serb police turned
a community center's premises into its own housing unit, residents said,
adding that 2 coffee bars run by Serbs are in the vicinity, 50-60 meters
away, and policemen are prominent guests late in the evenings. Serbian
police frequented one of the two Serb cafes in the aftermath of the explosions
last night.
In the morning today, the sign of the explosion
was there on the concrete ground. Police came to the scene to examine it.
It is hard to believe they will have problems in determining who was behind
the explosions, or indeed who carried them.
Meanwhile, Prishtina residents, not only in the
Dardania neighborhood, woke at half past two to the sound of automatic
weapons fire, and a bit later to the movement of Serb tanks and other motorized
equipment.
A huge Serb army garrison is a mile away from
Dardania, in the suburb of Prishtina, on the right side of the Prishtina
- Fushë- Kosova roadway.
Rugova's Group of Advisors, So-called G-15, Ceases Work
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - The so-called G-15,
the Council of Advisors, set up by President Ibrahim Rugova in late March,
ceases its work, Dr. Fehmi Agani, the Group's coordinator, said today.
The G-15, six members of which had been turned
into a negotiating team for Kosova in the talks process with Belgrade,
had a meeting in Prishtina today which resulted in a self-suspension. The
Group deemed it had been 'superseded' by new developments in Kosova.
Political parties are now consulting to form
a coalition government in Kosova, or a joint executive body, "which may
seek a different organization of the negotiating process", Dr. Agani said,
adding that this was the reason why the Group was terminating its work.
The public opinion will be duly informed about the platform and the work
of the Group, he said in a statement.
Dr. Agani said the Group, which served as an
advisory body to President Ibrahim Rugova, had no knowledge of an alleged
U.S. project on Kosova, "on which Dr. Rugova and his advisors were informed",
as Bujku correspondent from New York wrote.
When it was formed, the G-15 was welcomed by
some Western diplomats as being representative of the whole political spectrum
and the Kosovar society as a whole. They were proven wrong soon, for the
March 22 election had painted a different political picture in Kosova.
There have been moves towards the formation of
a broad-based Kosova Government (an 'all-party executive', in the views
of others), whose responsibilities would include also negotiations with
Belgrade on the status of Kosova.
Many Burned and Damaged Villages, Five More Dead Reported
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - The extent of material
damage and the casualty-toll resulting from the Serb military-police offensive
against Llapushnik area in Drenica and the municipality of Malisheva early
this week is still largely unknown, local sources said.
Malisheva, 45 km south-west of Prishtina, was
for weeks dubbed the 'stronghold' of the UÇK. The Serb forces overrun
it, turning tens of thousands of Albanians into refugees.
The LDK Information Commission in Malisheva said
today entire villages have been burned and damaged by Serb bombardment
in a wide are in central Kosova. Unharvested wheatfields have been set
ablaze, gas stations along roads too.
LDK sources said during the Serb shelling of
Bubavec village two days ago, two Albanians, aged 60 and 80, respectively,
were killed.
In Astrazub village Dul Morina, in his mid-fifties,
and Muharrem Hoxha (24), resident of Dushanova, a visitor there, have been
killed. Mufail Morina (22) was wounded in Astrazub.
There are killed people in the village of Drenoc,
sources said.
A 12-year old Albanian boy, Jashar Paçarizi,
was killed in his native village of Dragobil, local LDK sources learned
today. Mourners had to venture and bury him although Serb gunfire, including
artillery, was raging today, they said.
Six Serb shells landed in the village of Shkozë,
wounding the 18- year-old girl, Shpresë Bytyçi.
Around 80 percent of the population of the municipality
of Malisheva has been displaced in the wake of Serb crackdown early this
week. The population there had been swelled with tens of thousands of Albanians
uprooted from other parts of Kosova. For three days now, that have spent
the night in the open sky. Serb artillery has been pounding villages in
two directions: from Malisheva to Rahovec, and from Malisheva to Duhël,
local LDK sources said.
Serb forces which have overrun Malisheva and
been attacking Albanian villages have engaged in looting and destruction
of Albanian property in the region.
Serb Forces Pound Rahovec Villages, Loot Albanian Homes
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - Serb forces have continued
bombarding Albanian settlements in the municipality of Rahovec, central
and south-west Kosova, on Wednesday and Thursday, local sources said.
The villages of Drenoc, Pastasellë and Senoc
have been particularly targeted by the Serbs lately, sources in the area
said. Tens of high-caliber shells landed in these three villages today
morning alone.
A resident of Drenoc village told the KIC that
a local villager, Idriz Gashi (60), was killed on Wednesday. Many others
were reportedly wounded. Over 3000 people have fled the villages Drenoc,
Pastasellë and Senoc in the past few days, he said.
The Drenoc villager said the fleeing population
is vulnerable, lacking food and medication. They have been sheltered in
nearby houses, most of them sleeping in the open sky.
Meanwhile, sources in Rahovec said Serb troops
have continued looting and smashing property in abandoned Albanian houses
in the town.
Serb Infantry Set Albanian Houses in Fire in Suhareka
PRISHTINA, July (KIC) - Shortly after 5
p.m. on Wednesday, Serb forces mounted a fierce attack against the villages
on both sides of the road from Malisheva to Duhla mountain pass, municipality
of Suhareka.
The LDK chapter in Suhareka said a Serb convoy
driving along the area pounded indiscriminately the outlying hamlets. A
large number of Serb shells landed in the villages of Bellanicë, Temeçinë
and Bllacë, causing immense damage to the local farmhouses.
Serb infantry backed up by tanks and armored
vehicles topping large machine guns advanced in the Bllaca village, setting
ablaze houses, farms, barns and wheatfields, witnesses said. Smoke billowing
from several places in the village could be seen this morning there too.
The fleeing population has been scattered in
the area, most of them living in the open sky for days now.
On behalf of the population of Suhareka municipality,
the local LDK chapter repeated today appeals to the world humanitarian
organizations to assist urgently the population in desperate need for food
and medical supplies. There are many wounded, sick and weak, including
children and old people living in terrible conditions, the LDK said.
An 18-year-old, Flamur Përteshi from Duhla
village, killed by the
Serb forces earlier this week, was buried yesterday
in the local cemetery of Semetishte village.
Serb Army Lays Landmines on Kosova Macedonia Border Zone
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - The Serb/Yugoslav army
has been laying landmines along the border zone between Kosova and the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), sources in the area said.
Witnesses have told the LDK chapter in Kaçanik,
a town in south- east Kosova, that Serb soldiers have been lately planting
mines along the border zone with FYROM, in the slopes of the Sharr Mountains
from Luboteni to Han i Elezit ('General Jankovic').
Yugoslav army authorities have warned residents
of the Glloboçicë village for caution in moving near the border
zone. Three cows have already been killed and some 20 others wounded by
land-mines near the village recently.
The local population near the border zone has
been increasingly apprehensive over the stepped up presence of Serb forces
in the area. Harvesting over 100 hectares of wheatfields near the border
zone in the Kaçanik municipality has become virtually impossible,
the local LDK chapter said.
Serb Gangs Terrorize Albanian Citizens in Peja
Undeclared dusk-to-dawn curfew in the town. Albanians
being robbed and looted in streets and homes at Serb gunpoint
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - 'Albanian residents
in the town of Peja have been going through the most difficult days in
their life', this is how the local LDK chapter described the situation
there today.
The LDK Information Commission in Peja, the second
biggest town in western Kosova, said the local Albanian population has
been targeted by both Serb police and gangs of armed civilians. People
get harassed and detained and kidnaped in the streets and their homes,
they have their homes raided, property looted and destroyed, and are permanently
threatened with killing and bombardment of their houses.
Streets of Peja are virtually deserted both during
the nights and days. One sees Serb troops and gangs of armed Serb civilians
terrorizing the few Albanians who venture out to get the essential supplies,
the LDK said.
On 24 and 25 July, six unidentified human bodies
were buried in the Peja cemeteries, taken earlier to the town morgue by
the Serb forces. The killing of Bakir Gjuka and Adem Gjuka in the evening
of 23 July has never been solved, which is but additional proof that the
Serb regime is adamant on planting fear and uncertainty, said the LDK Commission.
Shooting in the air from all kinds of firearms in the nights is only part
of such a campaign.
Three is a virtual, undeclared dusk-to-dawn curfew
in Peja for weeks now. Those who dare go out in the evening will most certainly
be halted and maltreated by Serb police patrols or paramilitaries, patrolling
the street of the town likewise.
A notorious Serb gang, known by the local population
in Peja as "the Gang Sanipuric", has been involved in a campaign of brutalities.
Armed members of this gang intrude into the yards and break into the homes
of Albanians, plunder valuables at gunpoint, bully and beat family members
and smash up household property. In one such case, an Albanian family,
Zekaj, was robbed off and had property destroyed estimated to over DM 40.000
DM.
Dozens of thousands of local Albanians as well
as those who had from war-torn areas sheltered earlier in Peja have been
fleeing the town, most of them heading for Montenegro.
Political parties and human right groups in Peja
say that at least 12.000 Albanians have fled the "Dardania" suburb since
6 July.
Serb Troops Bombard Mitrovica Villages Overnight
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - The Serb forces pounded
for three hours last night, 23:OO through 2 a.m the villages of Shala a
Bajgorës region, in the Mitrovica municipality.
Serb shells landed in the mining town of Stantërg
and the villages of Rahovë, Mazhiq, Kutllofc, Rashan, and Tuneli i
Parë, local LDK sources said. No word about possible casualties.
The LDK chapter in Mitrovica said fresh Serb
police and army troop have arrived from Serbia in the town today. At least
14 busloads of Serb troops drove along the town early in the afternoon
today moving in the direction of Skenderaj.
Albanian Shepherd with His Throat Slit
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - The body of a 75-year-old
man, Ramë Gashi (75), from Lutogllavë village of Peja, was found
in the fields of his village today morning.
Witnesses said the late Albanian was slit in
his neck.
The LDK chapter in Istog quoted the family members
of the Ramë Gashi as saying that he had left home yesterday morning
to herd his cattle at his shepherd's alpine summer hut.
Over 140 Albanians Face Serb Charges for Support and Affiliation with UÇK
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - The Serbian-installed
court authorities in Prizen have initiated investigation for allege hostile
activities against over 140 Albanians from the four municipalities in south-west
Kosova.
The Serb press cited the office of the Serb public
prosecutor in Prizren as saying that criminal investigations have been
many Albanians from Rahovec, Suhareka Prizren and e Malisheva, charging
them for membership with the Liberation Army of Kosova (UÇK). The
Serb media said as many as investigations have been launched for 140 failing
to say whether they are in pre-trial detention.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Serb-run Public
Prosecutor in Peja said it has charged two Albanians for criminal activities,
i.e. support for the UÇK. Metë Ademaj has been accused for
having allegedly delivered 14 tons of petrol to the UÇK, whereas
Reshat Nurboja, as a member of an aid organization, the Emergency Council
of Kosova, had delivered medication to the UÇK.
Serb Military Conduct Drill in Village of Podujeva
PRISHTINA, July 30 (KIC) - Serbian military troops,
which have been stationed for days in the village of Llaushë in the
municipality of Podujeva, conducted today a one-hour drill on a hill near
the village of Dumnicë e Epërme, neighboring on Llaushë,
six km north- east of Podujeva, local LDK sources said.
A dozen tanks were involve in the military drill,
the LDK chapter in Podujeva said.
The gunfire and movement of the troops and equipment
caused panic in the community, 99 percent Albanian.
Most of the Serb military and police re-enforcement
are brought into Kosova via Podujeva.
Some 30 APCs full of Serb soldiers drove through
Podujeva, heading to Prishtina at eight o'clock in the morning today, LDK
sources said.
A couple of hours later, two busloads of policemen
travelled the same road.
Kosova Information Center
Last page!
War widens along entire Kosova-Albania border_______________________________________________________________________PRISHTINE, July 30/ ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports:
The Serbian offensive, which began two days ago in the suburbs of Dragash, on the Kosova-Albania border belt, besides the killed and wounded, has caused a large-scale displacement of the population from several villages of Opoja.
The commando of the Yugoslav army third army corps on Wednesday said that four militaries, of who three officers have been killed in the border fighting.
According to reports available in the Prishtine press, fierce fighting between the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) and the Serb military and police forces continues in the regions of Reke e Keqe, Junik and Vokshi, on the Kosova-Albania border belt.
Meanwhile Serbian forces are reported to have destroyed Albanian dwelling places in these areas and killed a large number of Albanians.
/p.ta/mima/lm/Media commission urges careful treatment of Kosova issue
TIRANA, July 30 (ATA) - The parliamentary commission on public media called on Albanian press to carefully treat the Kosova issue "without harming national interests or kindling hatred among peoples."
A public appeal distributed on Thursday by the head of the public media commission Musa Ulqini which referred to the reality in Kosova, said that "without harming the independence of press, we attract the attention of publishers, journalists or analysts to avoid articles or inaccurate reports which hurt unintentionally the national interests or stir up hatred between peoples."
The appeal urged all central institutions which deal with urgent tasks regarding the Kosova "to better organise information and contacts with the press." /ypa/das/ak/
RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 2, No. 145 Part II, 30 July 1998HUNGARY WILL NOT SEND TROOPS TO KOSOVA.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban on 29 July said Hungary will not participate in any "direct military operation" in Kosova, Hungarian media reported. Orban told journalists after visiting the U.S. military base in Taszar, southwestern Hungary, that "Hungarian soldiers can under no circumstances face [other] Hungarian soldiers." He was referring to the fact that several hundred ethnic Hungarians are conscripts in the Yugoslav army in Kosova (see also "RFE/RL Newsline," 27 July 1998). He added that Hungary is nonetheless ready to offer its military bases as a launching point for NATO military operations in Kosova. MSZ
SERBIAN OFFENSIVE CONTINUES IN KOSOVA.
Serbian paramilitary police and Yugoslav army troops took control of the road linking Mitrovica and Peja in northern Kosova on 29 July. They also continued their attacks on Junik, which is controlled by the Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 28 July 1998). Heavy fighting also took place in the Gjakova region along the Albanian border. Serbian police killed four UCK fighters and captured seven others who had tried to take control of a stretch of the road linking Malisheva and Kijeva, Serbian sources reported from Prishtina. Kosovar sources said that up to 300,000 ethnic Albanian civilians have fled their homes throughout the province as a result of the fighting and that many live "in the forests and without basic necessities of life." PM
RUGOVA CALLS FOR ACTION.
Shadow-state President Ibrahim Rugova said in Prishtina on 29 July that he and leaders of other political groups have reached a compromise on setting up a coalition government, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. He did not elaborate. Rugova also called upon the U.S., EU, and international community to take measures to "prevent ethnic cleansing and the stem the flow of refugees." PM
STILL NO AGREEMENT WITH UCK.
In the Drenica region, U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia Christopher Hill continued talks with UCK representatives about their forming a joint team with the civilians to negotiate with the Serbian authorities (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 July 1998). He did not finalize the deal, which involves the UCK being represented in talks by politicians close to it, Reuters reported. An unnamed senior U.S. diplomat told the news agency that the guerrillas are still "considering" the proposal. Observers noted that the recent reverses suffered by the UCK on the battlefield may be a factor in holding up their agreement on joining any future talks. PM
UCK SOLDIERS AT TIRANA RALLY.
More than a dozen UCK soldiers attended a meeting of the nationalist Albanian National Movement on 29 July in central Tirana. Idajet Beqiri, a deputy leader of the movement, introduced to those present a UCK commander called "Skender," who urged the participants to support the UCK's "fight for the national liberation from the occupier." Beqiri called for setting up a "Front of National Unity" among ethnic Albanians everywhere to draft a joint program for a solution to the Kosovar problem, "Koha Jone" reported. Daut Gumeni, who is the secretary of President Rexhep Meidani, was present and praised the plans for closer cooperation between Kosovars and Albanians. He added that "such a movement would also compensate" for the inability of the government for political reasons to support the UCK openly. FS
MORE SHELLS HIT ALBANIA.
Albanian border guards in Tropoja told "Gazeta Shqiptare" that there were six separate incidents in which Serbian forces fired with mortars and machine guns on Albanian territory on 28 and 29 July at different areas in the Has Mountains and near Tropoja. Nobody was injured in any of the incidents, but one shell almost hit four children near Padesh, in Albania. Meanwhile in Tirana, the parliament met in closed session on 28 July to discuss the security situation with Foreign Minister Paskal Milo and Interior Minister Perikli Teta. No results of that meeting were reported. FS
ARGENTINA TO SEND NADA SAKIC TO CROATIA.
Victor Ramos, who is the head of the Argentine government's anti-racism unit, said in Buenos Aires on 29 July that the authorities will soon deport Nada Sakic to Croatia. He added that Argentina has turned down Yugoslavia's request for her extradition because the atrocities took place on what is now Croatian territory. Both Zagreb and Belgrade want her to stand trial on charges of war crimes she allegedly committed at a concentration camp during World War II. Argentina recently extradited Nada Sakic's husband, Dinko, to Croatia to stand trial on similar charges of war crimes. PM
SHELLINGS, EXPLOSIONS IN BOSNIA.
Some 70 Muslims returned to their former homes in the Croatian-held Stolac region on 29 July. Before they arrived, unidentified persons fired mortar shells at five of their houses. The Stolac region has witnessed many Croatian nationalist attacks on Muslims or their property since the Dayton agreement was signed at the end of 1995. Meanwhile in Muslim-controlled Kakanj in central Bosnia, a bomb damaged a Roman Catholic church. Bosnian Croats have frequently complained about harassment and discrimination by Muslims in that region. And in Sarajevo, a bomb went off outside the offices of the independent bi-monthly "Dani." The magazine's offices have been the scene of several incidents recently following "Dani's" publication of an article linking some members of the Muslim political establishment to organized crime (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 June 1998). PM
Alarming situation in Skenderaj_______________________________________________________________________PRISHTINE, July 30 (ATA)- Skenderaj (North of Drenice, central Kosova) is experiencing the most difficult days in ist history.
Alarming reports arriving from Runik say that the Kastriot village has almost been burnt down by the Serb infantry.
Other villages of this area (Sejdiu quarter has been burnt down), Kllodernica, Lezina, Padalishta, aitaku, Vitaku, aubreli, Radisheva and Kotorr have also been attacked.
All these villages have been attacked by the rocket system in the mountains of Mokne, the Kosova Information Centre reports. Villages around Skenderaj, especially Kline e Eperme (quarter of Beranve and Mecinve), where the graves have been seriously damaged, continue to be under attack.
Since Wednesday Llausha, especially Llausha e Eperme, has been grenaded nonstop.
In central Drenica and especially in the Likofci locality, which includes nine villages, is crowded with Albanians who have fled their Serbian attacked homes.
Many who have fled the villages of the Kline commune are passing the nights in the open, near the Fushe-Kosova-Peja railway in Ujmir and the two tunnels linking Ujmir with Cerovik.
/p.ta/pas/lm/Some 100 000 Kosovars fleeing their homes
PRISHTINE, July 30 (ATA)-Since the beginning of armed conflict in Kosova, according to official data, more than 100 000 people have fled their homes, the Kosova Information Centre (KIC) cites the spokesman of the U.N High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Janovski, as saying.
Janovski adds that according to nonofficial reports, this number has reached 150 000.
The population have fled to mountains and the UNHCR is unable to reach and offer them aid, says KIC referring to the above sources.
Janovski says that the current situation in Kosova reminds you of Bosnia in the first war stage and warns that the Kosova population are threatened by a humanitarian catastrophe.
The UNHCR estimates that around 30 000 Kosovars have left Kosova for Montenegro and Albania. While the International Red Cross Committee has reported that nearly 400 Albanians have so far been abducted in Kosova.
Sources from the KIC in Gllogoc say that some 10 000 Albanian inhabitants from the Kline and Malisheve commune have been settled in the villages of Gllogoc.
Many inhabitants of Rahovec (western Kosova) as well as of other communes as Suhareke and Malisheve, fleeing the hotbeds, have also been settled in Prizren, although the possibilities to infiltrate there have become very difficult of late as the movements in and out from the city are under tough control of Serb police forces.
Nazmi Mucaj, responsible for the communal Emergency council told LDK sources in Prizren that last week the number of the evacuated in the Mamushe village reaches between 5000 and 6000 citizens, in Nagavc over 1500, in Krushe e Madhe over 2000, in Randobrave around 2000, Celine over 10 000 and Prizren around 4000.
The same source says that there is also a large number of people fleeing other communes for who the Emergency council does not yet possess statistics data.
A large number of Albanian inhabitants arrived in the city of Mitrovice (Northern Kosova, near the Trepce mine) early on Tuesday.
LDK sources in Mitrovice say that in this commune staples have begun to run out. Some 11 000 Albanians, who had fled their homes, had been sheltered in Mitrivice before this new influx.
/p.ta/pas/lm/Aid to reconstruct Albanian army
TIRANA, July 30 (ATA)-Greece will provide $200 000 for the reconstruction of an infantry unit in Vlore (South of Albania). Works are expected to begin soon with the aid of a Greek Military mission in Yzberish of Tirana, the Greek embassy in Tirana reports.
A Greek military delegation, headed by the head of the Infrastructure Department of the Greek General Staff, made this public at a meeting in Tirana on Thursday with the chief of the Albanian Army General Staff, Brigade general Aleks Andoni.
The reorganisation of the Albanian armed forces was also discussed at the meeting.
The delegation and a group of eight Greek military doctors on July 25 began a formal visit to Albania.
The Greek doctors will teach the Albanian colleagues of the Military Hospital in Tirana to use the contemporary medical apparatuses, worth $100 000, donated on July 28 by the Greek Defence Ministry.
/s.s/mima/lm/
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 1830CET --
After very harsh debates of Kosovar political
structures concerning the Government of the Republic and the National Council,
foreign diplomats initiated forming a joint political mechanism. Albanians
seem to have agreed to form an executive incorporating organ in Kosova,
which would be in charge of the issue of resuming negotiations with the
"Yugoslav" side, after the engagement and mediation of the US Ambassador
to Macedonia, Christopher Hill.
The State Department spokesperson, James Rubin,
also announced that there would be such an "agreement". He said that this
organ "will be chaired by Kosova Albanian leader, Ibrahim Rugova and that
it will be based in Prishtina and that all viewpoints of a broad spectrum
of political representatives in Kosova will be included".
Diplomatic sources in Prishtina, on the other
hand, say that the first man of this executive organ will be the secretary
general of the Albanian Democratic Movement, Mehmet Hajrizi, something
that the Kosova Albanian leader, Ibrahim Rugova, has also agreed with.
Different political analysts claim that a political
consensus was made possible by this decision, through which a mechanism,
which would include all political forces of Kosova, including the KLA,
could be created. Its architects say that the list of new negotiators can
be published with the creation of this organ.
According to international analysts, this and
the rapid growth of the KLA were the reasons why the international community
blessed the last Serb offensive. They say that the international community's
stand was mainly aimed at pushing armed Albanian forces to sit around the
negotiating table.
KOSOVA (EU "troika" - Prishtina)
Ischinger: How many more Albanians must be
killed for unity?
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 1930CET --
"Violence must stop", stated the Secretary General
of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Albert Rochan, after he and the two Political
Directors of the Foreign Ministries of Great Britain and Germany held a
meeting with Rugova.
"We cannot tolerate the further development of
the crisis, we cannot tolerate other victims and suffering of IDPs", added
Rochan.
He considers that "dialogue must begin immediately
and that the negotiating option for the issue of Kosova must be opened
immediately". Rochan stated that the "troika" has "presented the stand
that it is essential for the Albanian leadership to form a negotiating
team. The team must be joint and enter talks with an exclusive platform".
The Austrian Secretary General supported Rugova and his efforts in this
direction.
Ibrahim Rugova, evaluated the meeting held with
the European "troika", as very important, especially "in these hard times
which Kosova is going through". He stressed that the meeting held today
"might make the Serb offensive against Junik and Malishevë stop".
He told reporters that he requested preventive measures from the EU, US
and international community. He claimed that the measures should stop,
or at least obstruct ethnic cleansing, massacres and new waves of refugees.
He stressed that there was some progress in creating
a broad government coalition, where all political forces would be represented.
"Naturally", he said, "the conditions for negotiations would be created
after such a government is formed".
EU representatives are now coordinating efforts
with their "American colleagues", said the political director of the German
Foreign Ministry, Wolfgang Ischinger. He said that these efforts were being
made, first of all, in an "attempt to find a platform - a joint base for
talks where the Albanian leadership would unify".
He expressed the conviction that the solution
to the problem of Kosova must be found through negotiations, stating that
the only problem now is "how many victims there will be until negotiations
begin".
The European "troika", led by the Secretary General
of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Albert Rochan, also met with representatives
of the Parliamentarian Party of Kosova (PPK) and the Albanian Democratic
Movement (LDSH), at the newly opened EU office in Prishtina.
After the meeting, LDSH chairman, Rexhep Qosja,
said that an agreement had been reached. "A joint organ, the name of which
is unimportant, will be formed". "What is important is the composition",
said Qosja, and underlined that "the composition means forming a National
Council, which includes all political forces and national institutions".
PPK vice chairman, Bajram Kosumi, stated that
the representatives of this party "expressed their concern due to the new
and fierce offensive of the regime in Belgrade". This Serb offensive, according
to Kosumi, "was undertaken against everything that is Albanian". He expressed
the stand that "this militarist policy has no end if it is not stopped
by the international community". He stated the request made to the international
community to stop this militarist policy because otherwise it will be too
late.
Kosumi commented the political scene in Kosova,
stressing that: "We expressed our stand. The fact is that all the political
parties and the KLA are now part of the political scene. A joint body made
up of the political parties must be formed, so it could represent the conviction
and stand of the Albanian society".
Kosumi stressed that the EU representatives "want
the Albanian political factors to unite. He commented this organ as "an
organ which will be created with the agreement of political parties and
which will carry and decision-making and executive competencies".
KOSOVA (Government in exile - communiqué)
There are no reasons to block the Fund
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 1830CET--
On 27 July, the Swiss authorities requested the
Directing Council of the Fund of the Republic of Kosova to provide all
the documentation on the activity and the functioning of this Fund in Switzerland.
In this regard, the Swiss authorities have announced the possibility of
the temporary blockade of the Fund's account, until the documentation is
examined.
This is the first time Swiss authorities took
such a step in relation to the Fund of the Republic of Kosova.
Subsequently, the media asked for an evaluation
of the corresponding State Federal Body on the Fund's surveillance, in
Bern. The representative of this Body publicly stated that the Directing
Council of the Fund has constantly been open to the authorities and has
never violated the status.
The Fund of the Republic of Kosova was established
in Switzerland six years ago and it is properly registered in the state's
chancellery.
For six years, the majority of Albanians from
all ethnic territories as well as those working in Switzerland voluntarily
helped this Fund – by contributing 3 percent of their net salaries.
The Directing Council of the Fund expressed the
convictions that the Swiss authorities will give up on their temporary
measures against this highly important institution for the people of Kosova.
The Ministry for Economy and Finances of the
Republic of Kosova, depending on the further measures eventually to be
undertaken by the Swiss authorities, will soon notify fellow countrymen
on how to fulfil their obligations towards Kosova.
KOSOVA (Kosovar funds - stalled)
"No evidence that money was used to buy weapons"
Bern, 29 July (ARTA) 1715CET --
Following the action undertaken by the Federal
Prosecutor, which stalled the bank account of the Kosovar fund "Homeland
is calling" in the "Alternative Bank" (ABS) in Olten, the director of the
bank, Felix Buerher, gave Albanian daily "Koha Ditore" a statement.
He stated that "there is no evidence that the
money gathered in the fund "Homeland is calling" was used for buying military
equipment". He even claimed that the bank was given a written document
by the fund "Homeland is calling", saying that the money was used for humanitarian
purposes. According to internal inspections of the bank and other proofs,
he concluded that the accusations made by the Federal Prosecutor, had no
grounds.
The ABS director said that the "bank would decide
to stall the account itself if weapons were bought with the money. What
is more, he stated: "Money was never taken in cash from this account, therefore
we know exactly where the money landed".
On the other hand, the spokeswoman of the "Credit
Suisse" bank in Zurich, where the Government of Kosova had an account that
was also frozen, refused to talk even about the existence of the account.
She only said that she was told "by the bank secretary that they are not
free to give away information on possible contacts with their clients".
KOSOVA (EU - Kosovar funds abroad)
"The EU has not contemplated stalling Kosovar
fund so far"
Brussels, 29 July (ARTA) 1730CET --
Most of the foreign media reported about the
freezing of National Movement of Kosova (LPK) and the Government of Kosova
funds in Switzerland. However, until now, it seems that Switzerland took
this decision by itself.
Sources at the General Management of the European
Commission, claim that "the possibility or joint decision for stalling
Kosovar funds in EU countries has not been contemplated so far on EU level".
However, the sources say that "ever Member State
has the right to make such a decision". Naturally, "they must be careful
and gather enough evidence to prove that the money was used for intolerable
reasons", the sources state. They say that "the EU did not influence Swiss
authorities to make such a decision".
The EU previously called for "member states to
obstruct gathering material or financial aids for armed groups in Kosova",
in the official statements it issued referring to Kosova.
"We still believe that the problem of Kosova
must be solved through dialogue and not the use of violence", say sources
at the European Commission in Brussels.
KOSOVA (fighting - Malishevë)
Fierce clashes in Shkozë, Drenoc and
Zatriq
Malishevë, 29 July (ARTA) 2135CET --
The villages of the municipality of Malishevë,
starting from Kijevë and all the way up to Malishevë, are still
being attacked, report local sources of Albanian daily "Koha Ditore". They
claim that whole fields of grain have been destroyed after the intervention
of Serb police\military forces.
Shelling and shooting can still be heard coming
from the direction of the village of Shkozë. There are also increased
movements of military tanks and Serb police forces.
The villages close to Kijevë are up in smoke,
as there are reports that 50 tanks entered Malishevë. Sources claim
that these Serb forces destroyed the house belonging to Ramadan Krasniqi,
as well as a gas station belonging to him, in Malishevë.
Many other buildings in the region were reported
looted and damaged. Shooting and shelling, last night, did not take place
in the villages of Malishevë only, but also in the villages of Drenoc
and Zatriq in the municipality of Rahovec.
KOSOVA (clashes - Junik)
Junik is still under KLA control
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 2100CET --
Junik, a village close to the Albanian border,
is being attacked for the fourth day today. Serb forces are using large
caliber cannons to attack this village from their positions in the complex
of mountains Rokopeç, from Podi i Gështenjave, Pllanik as well
as Ponoshec. This village is being also targeted by missiles, which are
being launched from Suka e Biteshit.
Many houses have been destroyed and most of the
cattle have been killed during the attack. Local sources say that there
were no victims among the KLA units, or among civilians so far. There are
reports that 300 civilians were evacuated from the village today in the
morning and taken to safer areas.
Two young Albanians from Junik, who were able
to escape from this fighting zone today with their families, claim that
the report about the execution of 20 Albanians is not true.
They say that Serb forces were unable to reach
the village because of the powerful KLA resistance. These same sources
say that clashes took place in the village of Gjocaj as well.
In later reports, it has been claimed that one
Serb officer and two soldiers were killed during the fighting in Gjocaj.
There was also low-intensity fighting in the
village of Rastavicë. There is no information on casualties in this
village. There are claims that the nearby village of Dobrosh was also targeted
from Serb positions in Suka e Biteshit. Sources say that a KLA volunteer
was killed there.
Albanian sources say that shooting took place
in the village of Prejlep. Shooting was also reported in Suka e Biteshit,
but it seems that the shooting took place because of confrontations between
the Serb forces themselves.
KOSOVA (clashes – Klinë)
Three killed and many wounded
KOSOVA (EU - Kosovar funds abroad)
Compared to other days, the situation was less
tense today, accompanied by sporadic shootings. The Serb army continues
burning the houses throughout the municipality.
Yesterday's clashes resulted with many killed
and wounded. The following are the names of people killed in yesterday's
clashes: Alush Berisha (42), from Gjurgjevik i Madh, Xhemajl Daka (75),
from Cerrovik and Balë Balaj (70) from Gllarevë, who remains
unburied because of the frequent sniper shootings. Haki Berisha (40) and
Tahir Berisha, from Gjurgjevik i Madh were wounded.
The majority of the Albanian families moved out
from the villages of Siçevë, Ujëmirë, Shtoricë,
Gjurgjevik i Madh, Dobërdol, Gllarevë, Cerrovik, Zabërgjë,
Dush, Stapanicë, which were ruthlessly shelled during last night.
Sources from the ground, on the other hand, notify
about shelling in the direction of the village of Açarevë (municipality
of Skënderaj), where the majority of the people evacuated from the
attacked villages of Klinë, are settled.
There are many burned houses in the surrounding
villages, such as in Kërrnicë, whose local school was also shelled.
KOSOVA (shooting – Obiliq)
Sporadic shooting from Hade and Janovodë
Bardh i Madh 29 July (ARTA) 2100CET--
Sporadic shootings were heard in Bardh i Madh
and the surrounding, ever since the morning hours. The Serb army and police
were shooting from their positions in Hade, Janovodë and from the
"Kosova B" Power Plant in the direction of the villages Hamidi, Lajthishte
and Sibovc. Nevertheless, these forces met with the fierce resistance of
the KLA units.
The KLA forced out a group of policemen, who
intended to loot Albanian houses in Graboc i Ulët.
Shootings were also heard coming from a place
called Kërrshat, during the day yesterday that lasted until early
this morning.
This afternoon, shooting started near Bardh i
Madh, when the passersby and workers coming back from work became targets
of the police.
On the other hand, 3 tanks, 2 APCs, two trucks
and 2 terrain vehicles belonging to the Serb police\military forces, got
stationed last night on the grounds of the elementary school of the village
of Frashër (municipality of Mitrovicë).
CDHRF sources in Vushtrri inform that only 3
tanks remain in this village, observing the surrounding terrain.
KOSOVA (clashes - Gjakovë)
Fierce clashes in Rekë e Keqe -- strong
KLA resistance
Gjakovë, 29 July (ARTA) 2045CET --
The names of the seven victims which were killed
at the border with Albania were confirmed at last and they are: Nazmi Ramadan
Gashi (20) from Komoran, Nazmi Nebi Gashi (27) from Sverkë, Ramiz
Jonuz Gashi (27) from Sverkë, Xhafer Latif Gashi (32) from Përçevë,
Agim Jaha (28) from Maznik, Fadil Maloku (36) from Ploqin. It is believed
that the seventh victim is seventeen year-old Ardian Aliu from Batushë.
Their bodies had been transported to the morgue in Gjakovë last week.
On the other hand, Serb police, military and
paramilitary forces are continuing with their large-scale attack against
the villages of Rekë e Keqe, using their entire fighting arsenal.
From their strategic positions in Pllanik, Babaj
i Bokës, Duzhnjë and Qafa e Osekut, they are shelling the villages
of Ramoc, Nec and Smolicë and all the way up to Junik. It has been
claimed that the Serb forces are also shelling the villages in the region
of Has in the municipality of Gjakovë.
This was the most powerful offensive that the
Serb army has undertaken against the villages in this region, destroying
many houses and killing most of the cattle. There is no information on
casualties so far, although the number of wounded is believed to be very
high.
KLA units, on the other hand, backed by armed
local Albanians, are doing their best to resist this offensive.
Large Serb forces used heavy artillery in an
attempt to enter in Junik and the villages of Rekë e Keqe, notifies
the local LDK Information Commission. The report issued by this information
source claims that Serb forces also used helicopter gunships, which first
made low flights over the town of Gjakovë and then headed to the fighting
zones.
KOSOVA (tense situation – Mitrovicë)
Mitrovicë sealed off by Serb forces
Mitrovicë, 29 July (ARTA) 1800CET--
All the streets of Mitrovicë were put under
a strict Serb police control ever since 1145CET today.
A military convoy composed of tanks, surface
to surface missile launchers, APCs, terrain vehicles and trucks filled
with Serb soldiers, departed from Mitrovicë yesterday at 1100CET.
It went in the direction of the village Frashër and settled at a place
called "Tabe", situated between the villages Frashër and Pantinë,
municipality of Vushtrri.
This position was used a few days ago to shell
the villages of Pantinë (municipality of Vushtrri), Frashër and
Okrashicë.
KOSOVA (reinforcements - Podujevë)
16 tanks were brought from Serbia on a special
transporting train
Podujevë, 29 July (ARTA) 1720CET--
16 tanks loaded on a special transporting train,
followed by fighting gear and three wagons filled with soldiers, passed
down the town of Podujevë today at 0940CET, local sources inform.
Before arriving under a bridge, the train would stop, send out soldiers
to check the bridge and then continue its way.
A military convoy made of about 60 military vehicles
filled with armed soldiers that was coming from the direction of Serbia,
passed through Podujevë at 1130CET.
Army and police troop movements were witnessed
many times during the day. Among the police and military vehicles, there
were also trucks and other vehicles with civilian registration plates.
During the morning hours a number of fighting
planes were evidenced flying very low in the direction of the war afflicted
areas. The military helicopters, on the other hand, flew around observing
the forest around some of the villages of this municipality. They did it
twice during the day today, once at 0900CET and later at 1100CET.
KOSOVA (UPS leader harassed - Prishtina)
Bujar Dugolli arrested and held at the police
station for three hours
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 1700CET--
"Bujar Dugolli, chairman of the Students Independent
Union (UPS) of the University of Prishtina (UP), was stopped yesterday
by the police near Lipjan. Three friends accompanied him, on his way back
to Prishtina, it is stated in the communiqué issued by the information
service of the UPS of UP. They were all later arrested and sent to the
police station in Lipjan.
In the police station, the Serb inspectors interrogated
Dugolli for three hours. They were interested in knowing about the activities
of UPSUP, the activities of the University of Prishtina, UPSUP relations
and collaborations with Albanian political parties and the KLA, among others.
They were released as soon as "informative talk"
ended.
KOSOVA (LDK communiqué)
"The international community's indifference
is shocking"
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 2115CET --
The LDK leadership issued a communiqué
today, condemning the destructive offensive undertaken by Serb armed forces
against the Albanian people. "The terrorization of the Albanian civilian
population, chasing them away from their homes and closing all means of
food and medicine provision for the people, generated a humanitarian disaster.
Over 300,000 Albanian civilians have fled their homes so far, some of which
are currently seeking shelter in the woods. The execution of a twenty-member
family from Junik proves the danger with which the Albanian people are
threatened".
The LDK expresses its astonishment with the international
community's indifference towards the massacres and destruction carried
out by Serb forces during the last offensive against Kosova Albanians.
"We once again call the international community, the USA and NATO, to undertake
concrete measures of intervention".
The communiqué requested from humanitarian
organizations to find means to help the people urgently. De-blocking provision
for endangered people cannot be an issue of the Serb authorities' will,
but of the obligations that these humanitarian organizations, says the
communiqué.
"The Democratic League of Kosova reacts towards
the new wave of arrests and torture of Albanians, as well as the deportation
of prisoners to Serbia", concludes the communiqué issued by the
LDK leadership.
KOSOVA (humanitarian NGOs appeal – Prishtina)
Tens of thousands of people seek protection
from violence, terror, hunger and disease
Prishtina, 29 July (ARTA) 2130CET--
CDHRF, Kosova's Red Cross and the Health Council
of Kosova addressed an appeal to the humanitarian and international human
rights institutions. The appeal states that: "A large number of inhabitants
of Malishevë and its surrounding, of Skënderaj, of Klinë,
of Deçan, of Junik and Rahovec were forced to seek protection by
fleeing their homes and going in the direction of places not as much afflicted
by violence and terror. Tens of thousands of inhabitants of the mentioned
places, are suffering shortage of food and water under the wide-open sky
of July. Due to the hunger, thirst and exhaustion many people are loosing
conscience and are expecting our help. Many other fall in the hands of
raged Serb policemen, paramilitary and soldiers, who are using unprecedented
violence against Albanians by killing and massacring them unmercifully...
We make an appeal to the international institutions
that deal with the protection of the human rights as well as to the humanitarian
ones, to provide us with help in food items, medicine and shelter.
The international community and the influencing
factors are appealed to protect the lives, human and national dignity of
the unarmed and undefended Albanian people", it is stated in the end of
the appeal.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN THE COURSE OF JANUARY-JULY,l998_______________________________________________________________________The text you can read at janjun98.htm
UNHCR ESTIMATES 100,000 NOW DISPLACED IN KOSOVO
(Fighting continues, more villages being emptied
of peoples) (450)
Wendy Lubetkin
USIA European Correspondent
Geneva -- The United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees estimates that well over 100,000 people are now displaced
inside Kosovo and says it has begun stocking supplies in Pristina in preparation
for a major humanitarian emergency that could last throughout the coming
winter.
"There is continued
fighting," UNHCR spokesperson Kris Janowski told a press briefing July
28. "There are people scattered all over the combat area. Civilians sometimes
roughing it in the hills, sometimes living in semi-pockets or areas which
are partially surrounded."
In addition to the 100,000
displaced inside Kosovo, UNHCR says between 25,000 and 26,000 people have
fled into Montenegro. Some 13,000 refugees remain in Albania. "The total
figure is somewhere around 145,000 to 160,000," Janowski said.
"But again our estimate
that there are over 100,000 displaced in Kosovo is a pretty conservative
one," he said. "More and more villages are on fire, and more and more villages
are emptied out of people."
UNHCR is running daily
convoys from Belgrade to Pristina to replenish its supplies there, but
the UN refugee agency does not currently have access to those most in need
of help.
"Our access to these
areas is virtually non-existent because it is a battlefield and we cannot
use those roads," he said.
"At the moment we are
basically trying to fill the Pristina warehouse so we are running convoys
from Belgrade to Pristina each day with blankets, ready-to-eat meals, mattresses,
plastic sheeting, and other supplies to fill the warehouse," he said. UNHCR
wants to be ready if the roads open up, he explained.
"What is happening in
Kosovo is very reminiscent of the early stages of the war in Bosnia," Janowski
said. "Everything points in the direction of us having to deal with a major
humanitarian emergency throughout the winter with humanitarian convoys
and so forth, unless the fighting and bloodshed stops."
Asked whether UNHCR
was in favor of air strikes as part of an effort to end the conflict, Janowski
said UNHCR could not give prescriptions to the international community
on how it should intervene. "All we can really say is that unless the fighting
stops, unless it all ends, we are going to end up with a huge mess on our
hands and a major humanitarian disaster come winter.
"Decisions on a possible
military strike by NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] have to be
taken by NATO. What we said is that one should remember that it took a
military intervention to put an end to the war in Bosnia," he said.
Both Sides Lose Symbol of Trust in Kosovo Balkans:
Slaying of legendary cleric--shot in back--takes
away town's spirit of hope.
By RICHARD BOUDREAUX, Times Staff Writer
RAHOVAC, Yugoslavia--His domain was sacred. So when Serbian troops and tanks blasted through the streets here last week, more than 1,000 terrified ethnic Albanians took refuge in the tekke, trusting that the legendary Baba Sheh Muhedin Shehu's 4-century-old house of worship was safe. Mystical leader of the dominant local Muslim sect, the Baba, 76, possessed reputed healing powers and a stature that transcended his following. He was one of the few people respected by both separatist-minded Albanians and the tiny Serbian minority that runs this town in Kosovo province. "They believed he was untouchable," said Nekip Shehu, a distant relative. But after five days of fighting between government forces and separatist guerrillas, the tekke was nearly deserted and the Baba was dead. It seems evident from a witness' account that Serbian combatants violated the holy compound and shot him in the back. In Kosovo's 5-month-old conflict, the battle of Orahovac was doubly significant. It was a new display of brutality by Serbian police and Yugoslav army troops against civilians. And it launched a string of setbacks for the rebels, who failed on their first try to seize an urban center and who on Tuesday abandoned their nearby stronghold, Malisevo, without a fight. The cleric's execution-style slaying, one of eight such Albanian deaths related by witnesses, added a poignant element of tragedy: It shattered what little trust had existed between Serbs and ethnic Albanians in the largest town hit by the fighting so far, making both sides doubtful that the place can ever recover. A week after the rebel retreat, Orahovac is eerily quiet. Its streets, rising gently up a hillside, are nearly deserted except for the police. A big majority of the town's tile-roofed buildings are standing, but the scattered pockets of destruction include a neighborhood of about 30 burned-out homes near the police station. Windows are broken everywhere and looting appears to have been widespread, although some goods remain on store shelves. Police on duty lifted from an abandoned Albanian-owned shop. The dominant sound is the screechy megaphone of a Serbian functionary who drives around saying: "The town is free. Come out of your homes. There is no danger to anyone." But dozens of Albanians interviewed in their homes said they are too traumatized to venture beyond the city block they live on. And those who fled during the fighting to a temporary shelter several miles from here said they are reluctant to go home. An estimated 15,000 of the town's 22,000 inhabitants are gone. "There is no one in authority we can trust, no one who can guarantee our safety," said a 44-year-old Albanian doctor. Instead of reporting back to work at the town's Serb-run hospital, she has gathered a plastic bag of medicines donated by relatives and is treating people on her street. Serbs suffered less in the fighting but were equally disillusioned. "What hurts me most is that no one among our Albanian friends warned us that this [guerrilla] attack was coming," said Blagoje Milenkovic, a Serb whose big plastics factory here counted 360 Albanians among its 600 workers. The Baba, say people on each side of the ethnic divide, was perhaps the only figure who could have rebuilt their trust. Known universally by his honorific, roughly equivalent to father, the Baba settled blood feuds between Albanian families and helped the poor of both communities. His Sufi Muslim sect, Rufai Helveti, believes in mystical cures, but nonbelievers, including Serbs, turned to him to treat anything from depression to snakebites. "He was a respected citizen," said Zoran Grkovic, Serbian president of the Orahovac town council. "He was not a militant. He always said he didn't want war." The Baba shied away from the conflict--mindful, his relatives said, of the nine years he spent imprisoned by the former Yugoslav federation's Communist regime for his Albanian nationalist beliefs. But townspeople said he quietly blessed an agreement a month ago by Serbian and Albanian civic leaders to urge the Serbian police and the Kosovo Liberation Army not to fight over Orahovac, which was prospering from its vineyards and winery. People here had good reason to worry. Most of the 400 people killed in the conflict have been civilians. As in Kosovo as a whole, which has 2 million people, 90% of the population here is ethnic Albanian. Most of the people sympathize with the rebel army's demand for Kosovo's independence from Serbia, the dominant republic of the rump Yugoslavia. The leaders' effort was ignored, and each side now accuses the other's army of starting the battle. Grkovic, the town council leader, said that 1,000 guerrillas marched into Orahovac and its surrounding villages July 17, seized Serbian civilians and announced they were taking over. Ethnic Albanian townspeople said that government agents posing as rebels started the action by shooting at Serbian targets, provoking a retaliation against Albanian civilians that in turn drew in 1 rebels to protect them. In any event, rebel leaders in the heat of battle proclaimed an intent to capture Orahovac, but they were overwhelmed by government forces. The Serbs fired into neighborhoods with a ferocity aimed at terrorizing people as well as killing them, many residents said. Albanians suffered 48 of the 52 civilian deaths listed so far; the toll is rising as families venture out and search the ruins of their homes. News of executions had an even more chilling effect on those who survived. One fit a pattern of Serbian killing in previous Kosovo encounters. On July 20, three Serbian police officers wearing gray scarves showed up in the yard of a home where 15 men were hiding in a basement with dozens of women and children. Sami Ramaj, 23, said the men agreed, to save the others, to walk out one by one and surrender. They announced through the door that they were unarmed. Ramaj was the ninth to leave. As he walked into the yard, he recalled in an interview, he and the man in front of him saw the police shoot dead the other seven, who were standing in a row with their hands raised. The Baba was slain the next day, 24 hours after a harrowing experience that undermined his mystique. As the shelling moved closer to his tekke and destroyed part of an outer wall, he told the smoke-choked followers packed in the compound that, despite their faith, he could not guarantee their safety. Two people inside were already dead. His son arranged a brief cease-fire that allowed the rest to walk out unharmed. Left alone in the eight-building compound with his own family and the Baba, Nekip Shehu, the cleric's relative, heard the sound of windows breaking and intruders calling in Serbian: "Oh Baba Sheh! Oh Baba Sheh!" Shehu stayed hidden in his home about 40 feet away and did not look out. In an interview, he recalled the following exchange: "You don't have to break anything," the Baba told the intruders. "I have the keys. Whatever interests you, I will show you." "Is there anyone hiding in there with you?" asked one Ser shots. An hour later, another relative found the Baba's body face down on the bloodied flagstone pavement outside his doorway. Family members, who last Friday buried him in the tekke beside the tombs of his 15 predecessors, said the Baba had at least two bullet wounds in the back. One sign of the town's distrustful divide is the story being spread this week by Serbian authorities that the rebels shot the cleric for refusing to back their cause openly. Told what the Baba's relative had overheard, the town council leader admitted having no evidence for his own claim. Then he said he was puzzled by the slaying. "I cannot imagine that anyone who didn't know what he meant to the community could have shot him that way," Grkovic said. "I knew him personally. His death is a huge loss. Maybe he could have helped us overcome our divisions."
Copyright 1998 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved
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