Tagesnachrichten 12. August 1998
von ALBANEWS und anderen
Daily Report No 1519 August 12, 1998
Kosova Information Center
Tagesnachrichten 12. August 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;________________________________________________________________________
Geplant sind Fußball-Begegnungen zwischen
FC Bayern München und FK Obilic Belgrad am
12. und am 26. August. - An sich schön, a b e r
Scheduled are football-maches between FC Bayern
München and FK Obilic Belgrad on 12th and 26th August. - Very nice,
b u t
"If you look at: http://www.sport1.de/vereine/bayern/verein/obilic.html
you will find that Bayern Munchen is writing NOTHING at all about the background
that the leader of FK Obilic Belgrad is having !!!!!
... About -Arkan-, official name Zeljko Raznjatovic´,
You can read about him in the final report of the United Nations Commission
of Experts established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 780 (1992).
For futher info about this facts please look at: http://mprofaca.cro.net/kosovo04.html
This man is a
- wellknown criminal,
- member of the Serbian Parliament,
- Leader of the notorius pramilitarian force
the Serbian Tigers who are accused for
murdering 200 croatian patients
when they were still lying in their hospital bed
at the hospital of Vukovar in
Croatia,
- international wanted by INTERPOL for heavy
robbery and suspected for other
things in Sweden as f.e. organizing
to Sweden heavy smuggling of ciggarets;
alcohol;narcotica and so on,
- on the run from a prison sentence in Belgium,
- accused for murder in Holland, Croatia,
Bosnia-Hercegovina and Kosova."
P R O T E S T !
Protest against the football match between
FC Bayern Munchen and
Arkan´s propaganda weapon, the team
FK Obilic.
If FC Bayern Munchen refuses to boycott the
match, urge them to have a
SILENT MINUTE for all the victims of the
GENOCIDE IN KOSOVA, CROATIA and BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA
( all the countries that Arkan is suspected
of conducting genocide)
before the match starts as an emphasis
of their feeling.
Please protest by e-mail :
info@bayernmuenchen.de Mail 
senden
or by FC Bayern Munchen Treffpunkt -Forum at
internet
http://www.sport1.de/vereine/bayern/treffpunkt/index_treffpunkt.html
or by fax:
+49 (0) 89 64 41 65
or make a protest telephone call
to the President of FC Bayern Munchen
Franz Beckenbauer: +49 (0) 89 699 31-0
or at the address:
FC Bayern Munchen
Postfach 900451
D-81504 Munchen
Germany
Thank you for your support to the people of Kosova !
Anders Wessman
member of the council of the
Swedish Albanians Friendship Ties
Kosova Information Center_______________________________________________________________________
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 1519-B
Prishtina, 12 August 1998Second Edition: 16:30 hrs
NATO Reviews Military Planning to Bring an End to the Violence in Kosova
These include the use of ground and air power and in particular a full-range of options for the use of air power alone.PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Following is the text of a statement by the Secretary General of NATO, Javier Solana, issued today (Wednesday) after a meeting of the Council of the Alliance in Brussels.
(Begin text)
The Secretary General of NATO, Dr. Javier Solana, is deeply concerned by the continuing violence in Kosovo and its effect on the civilian population of the region for which President Milosevic bears a heavy responsibility.
The Alliance fully supports the efforts of the international community to encourage negotiations on a solution to the conflict.
To this end, the Council today reviewed military planning for a full range of options to bring an end to violence and to create the conditions for negotiations.
These include the use of ground and air power and in particular a full-range of options for the use of air power alone. They ensure that NATO can act swiftly and effectively should the need arise.
NATO's military authorities have been authorised to approach nations informally about the forces which they would be ready to commit to possible air operations.
The Alliance continues to monitor the situation closely.
(End text)Serb Offensive in Gjakova Area Continues
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Serbian military and police attacks against the villages of Gjakova, such as Hereç, Firajë, Dobrigje and the area near the Suka e Biteshit, resumed today (Wednesday), the LDK Information Commission in Gjakova reported.
Reports said there was a buildup of Serb troops in the villages straddling the Gjakovë-Deçan roadway.
The huge village of Juniku and the surrounding area was being shelled today, sources from Gjakova confirmed.
Besides the incessant shelling of the villages, a series of heavy detonations was heard today at 7 o'clock in the morning. The sound of blasts - thought not to be from artillery shells, but of strong explosive devices - was heard in the town of Gjakova.
Yesterday afternoon and in the evening, Serb military helicopters flew over the area and near the military garrison.
Local sources in Gjakova said that judging from the Serb military movements, the intensity of the fighting between Serb forces and local Albanian resistance forces was heavy.
There have been no immediate reports on casualty figures.
The town of Gjakova is virtually sealed off by Serb forces.
Serb forces manning checkpoints in the suburbs have been preventing the people displaced from their homes in the attacked villages from actually getting into the town. Albanians are being routinely arrested and ill-treated in these checkpoints, sources said.Serb Troops Shell Four Albanian Villages in Suhareka Tuesday
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - The villages of Bodakovë and Maqitevë, in the municipality of Suhareka, were pounded for a couple of hours yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Sources said the two villages came under Serb machine-gun fire at around 3 p.m. yesterday.
The LDK chapter in Suhareka said two other Albanian villages in the municipality, Peqan and Sllapuzhan, were attacked by Serb troops later in the evening yesterday. Albanian settlements in the area were bombarded from two major bases in Qafa e Duhlës and Biraqë.
The Suhareka LDK Information Commission could not say whether there were casualties in the villages attacked by Serb troops yesterday.Thousands of Displaced Albanians Live Rough in the Open
They have been crammed in an area between Skivjan, Novosellë and Dujakë villages in Gjakova municipalityPRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - In an area between the villages of Skivjan, Novosellë and Dujakë, thousands of Albanians displaced from their homes amidst the Serb offensive in Gjakova have been living rough in the open for days, the LDK Information Commission in Gjakova reported.
Their living conditions have been described as alarming, as the Albanians are without food and proper drinking water. Women, children and elderly are living rough in the open.
Reports said there was shooting overnight and today in the Reka e Keqe villages, especially in the area close to the border with Albania.
Observers said this could mean the Serb military has been obstructing passage to neighboring Albania for the displaced population.
Meanwhile, an extremely desperate situation with regard to provision of basic staples is reported in the town of Gjakova itself, whose population has been swelled to unprecedented proportions. Basic food supplies are lacking, as commercial goods have been blocked from entering Gjakova, while humanitarian relief supplies reaching the area have been far from meeting the needs of the population.Albanian Villages in Obiliq Under Repeated Serb Fire for Two Months
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Half a dozen villages in the tiny municipality of Obiliq, north-west of Prishtina, have been held inside a virtual siege by Serb forces, police, military and paramilitary units, for almost two months now.
The LDK chapter in Obiliq said the villages of Graboc i Epërm, Shipitullë, Siboc, Lajthishtë and Hamidi, have been fired into by Serbs on a daily basis. Serb attacks in this area have not been as heavy as in other parts of Kosova, but they have added to the insecurity of the population.
For almost two months, the Albanian population in the Obiliq municipality and the villages around the open-cast coal mine in Bellaçevc have been on a move. Once they feel the situation calming down, they decide to return to their homes but they are constrained to flee again when Serb begin pounding their farmsteads with machine-gun and artillery fire, the LDK Information Commission said.
Serb ('Yugoslav') army aircraft flew overhead the area in Fushë- Kosova and Obiliq for a couple of hours today morning, sources said.Serbs Pound Three Villages in Western Drenica Area
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Serb forces mounted an artillery attack today against two villages of Gllogovc and one in the neighboring village of Lipjan, 25 km south-west of Prishtina.
The LDK chapter in Lipjan said the villages of Fushticë e Epërme and Fushticë e Poshtme (Gllogovc municipality) and Mirenë (Lipjan municipality) were pounded with artillery fire from a Serb position on the Golesh hills. There has been no word about possible casualties.
The LDK Information Commission in Lipjan said it could only learn that several farmhouses were burning in the three villages by midday today.Shtupel Villagers Urge Red Cross Help Evacuate Their Kin Inside Serb Siege
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - The LDK chapter in Vushtrri said several Albanians from the villages Shtupel of Klina, central Kosova, came to the office today saying that their family members have been trapped in their villages encircled by the Serb troops. At least 28 members of the Arifaj extended family have been holed up in the village for several days now unable to flee as they fear Serb massacre they said.
The Shtupel villagers urged the International Red Cross to intervene with the Serbs authorities to secure the evacuation of their kin.Baby Dies after Living in the Open for a Week
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - A one-year-old toddler, Donjetë Beqiri from Turiqefc village of Skënderaj ('Srbica'), died yesterday soon after her family was sheltered in Brusnik village of Vushtrri. LDK sources in Vushtrri ('Vucitern') said the Beqiri family had spent seven days in the open until making it to Brusnik village. They could not do anything about their baby girl, who got sick in the forests.
Thousands of refugees are still hiding in the mountains in several parts of Kosova lacking food, clean water and medication.Serbs Set Ablaze Wheatfields in Bardhi Village
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - The Serb troops set ablaze a dozens of hectares of ready-to-be-harvested wheatfields in Bardhi i Madh (Bellaçevc) village on Tuesday morning, local sources said. LDK sources in Fushë Kosova said that large areas of wheatfields could not be harvested in the municipality due to security reasons.
The village of Bardhi and several other hamlets around the open-pit coal mines have been held sealed off by heavy Serb troops and snipers for almost two months now.
A few days ago the Serb authorities in the municipality have told the local population that they could harvest their fields, but many were already burned, activists in the ares have told the Bujku newspaper.Serbs Force Burial of Unidentified Albanians in Gjakova
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Serb forces, which actually rule the town of Gjakova, ordered the burial of six Albanian killed earlier by Serb military and police, the LDK Information Commission said.
The identity of five of the bodies buried today was unknown. The sixth was the body of Hasan Hazir Osmani (24), resident of Nivokaz village, who was brought to the Gjakova hospital morgue last evening.Four Unidentified Bodies Taken to Peja Morgue
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Serb troops took four unidentified corpses to the town morgue in Peja ('Pec') on Tuesday, sources said.
Witnesses said two of the bodies were male, one of them a man in his mid-fifties, and the other boy in his late teens. Two other corpses were of young girls.Albanians Indicted for Alleged Hostile Activity
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - Serb court authorities in Peja ('Pec') have brought charges earlier this week against five Albanians from the region, accusing them for alleged terrorist activities.
Sources in Peja named the following Albanians indicted by the Serb- run District Court in Peja: Dërvish Gacaferri (25) from Junik, Çaush Ahmeti (53) from Sheremetaj (Gjakova), Gani Rexhepaj (19) from Hereç (Gjakova), Adem Jasiqi (46) from Jasiq (Deçan).
Serb media reported earlier this month that criminal proceedings have been instituted against at least 140 Albanians in Prizren, Rahovec, and Malisheva.Trial of Prizren College Student Leaders Postponed for Security Reasons
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - The trial of nine leading members of a student organization in Prizren which was due to open on Tuesday in the Serb-run District Court in Prizren was postponed for security reasons, the Prishtina-based Bujku said today.
Top leaders of the Student Independent Union of the Prizren-based "Xhevded Doda" teachers training college - Bylbyl Duraku, Nijazi Kryeziu, Aqif Iljazi, Behare Tafallari, Leonorë Morina, Jehonë Krasniqi, Sejdi Bellanica, Dëfrim Rifaj and Sherif Iljazi - face Serb regime charges of alleged "terrorist activity", namely support and involvement in the armed resistance movement.
Quoting sources in the Prizren District Court, Bujku said the trial of Albanian students was put off as some of the female defendants are being held in a jail in Lipjan, and that the road between Lipjan and Prizren is not safe. The trial is expected to begin on 19 August, a defending attorney, Sylë Hoxha said.
The Prizren College student leaders have been held in Serb custody since last spring. Witnesses, including defendants' attorneys, have claimed the detainees have been subject to outrageous torture during the pre-trial period.Kosova Information Center
Last page!
First Edition: 13:30 hrs
Serbs Step Up Military Offensive in Deçan Area
- Many reported killed; names of three killed
men known;
a fourth, still unidentified, is in Shaptej.
- A large number of Albanians wounded; names
of 45 known.
- Serbian troops have suffered losses, too.
- Over 100,000 Albanians live rough in the open,
encircled by Serb troops
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - The most recent Serbian
offensive, in its fourth day today (Wednesday), has stepped up against
a dozen Albanian villages in the municipality of Deçan, in western
Kosova. In the unfolding offensive, more than 250 Serb military vehicles
of all kinds have been put in action, the LDK Information Commission in
Deçan said today.
The target of this ferocious offensive are the
villages of Gllogjan, Gramaçel, Baballoç, Shaptej, Dubravë,
Llukë e Epërme, Irzniq, Prejlep, Carrebreg i Ulët, Beleg,
Kodrali, and other hamlets in the vicinity.
Army tanks, heavy artillery, as well as infantry
units of the Serb army have been involved in the latest operations against
Albanian villages, sources said.
An unspecified number of Albanians has been reported
killed in the ongoing offensive, regarded to have seen some of the heaviest
fighting between Serb troops and local Albanian resistance forces.
Nexhat Humaj, Xheladin Mushkolaj, Naim M. Nimanaj,
resident of Gllogjan, and a still unidentified man in the village of Shaptej,
are only four out of many others known to have been killed, LDK sources
in Deçan said. (A source spoke to the KIC of at least 8 killed,
see news item below.)
These sources named at least 45 wounded Albanians
in the recent days: Bashkim Aliaj, Arian Malaj, Yll Morina, Elan Çeragjiu,
Januz Rexhaj, Bashkim Sejfiaj, Genc Rexhaj, Sabit Kastrati, Ali Sylaj,
Muhamet Haskaj, Fatos Salihaj, Jashar Zogaj, Haxhi Mustafaj, Ismet Haskaj,
Gëzim Dërvishaj, Drilon Haskaj, Vaze Lokaj (f), Hajdar Demhasaj,
Sami Lokaj, Jashar Zogaj, Idriz Rexhaj, Isuf Haskaj, Leonard Aliaj, Bekim
Vishaj, Xhevat Zenuni, Shahe Bajramaj (f), Zade Bajramaj (f), Isuf Aliaj,
Ismet Aliaj, Jeton Halilaj, Burhan Halilaj, Hajdar Demhasaj, Jeton Lushaj,
Afërdita Hajdaraj (f), Arben Hajdaraj, Driton Mustafaj, Gani Ukaj,
Luan Qerimaj, Astrit Ahmetaj, Zenun Mataj, Lulzim Mataj, Ismet Neziraj,
Gani Beqaj, Nezir Lushaj, Demë Ramaj. More Albanians are reported
wounded, whose names have not been made known though.
The local Albanian resistance forces, including
the Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës (UÇK, Kosova Liberation
Army), have inflicted considerable losses and material damage on the Serb
troops, local sources said.
The civilian Albanian population, displaced from
the villages at the center of the fighting, have been reported in a desperately
dangerous position. Reports said some 25,000 Albanians have been camped
- rather huddled - in the villages of Isniq, Prapaqan, Broliq, Lumbardh,
Dubovik and the vicinity, most of whom are living rough in the open, without
food, water and medication. In addition to them, this area has been crammed
also by some 80,000 Albanians displaced from the municipalities of Peja
('Pec'), Deçan, and Gjakova. They live in terrible conditions and
fearful of a Serb massacre, being as they are encircled by Serb forces.
Local Albanian structures in Deçan called
on the international community today to intervene urgently and save the
unprotected Albanian population in the face of the Serbian aggression.
Alarming Situation Reported in Junik
PRISHTINA, Aug 12 (KIC) - A local source, speaking
to the KIC by phone from a place near Junik, said today the situation was
alarming in the area amidst the unrelenting Serbian offensive.
Today, Serb troops have resumed using heavy artillery
and firing from all sides in their assault on Albanian settlement in the
Rrafshi i Dukagjinit (Dukagjini plateau).
Over 100,000 people have been crammed into an
area encompassing five villages, the source said. The population is encircled,
under a ring of steel maintained by Serb forces.
The source told the KIC at least 8 Albanians
are known to have been killed in the Deçan villages these days,
38 are reported wounded, whereas 17 are considered as missing.
Touching on the plight of over 100,000 refugees,
encircled by Serb forces, the source said earlier shelters have been shelled.
"The Serbian attacks are stronger by the hour. The situation is alarming.",
the source told the KIC.
The United States should intervene to halt Serbian
attacks and save the civilian population, the source said. It is virtually
impossible to have the population evacuated, to get it across the border
to Albania, because the road is rugged and dangerous, the source said.
Most of the people encircled there are women,
children and the elderly, and it is impossible for the local Albanian resistance
forces to protect them from Serb artillery and helicopter gunships, the
source pointed out.
The international community should intervene
to evacuate the population in the direction of Peja, the source said in
a telephone conversation with the KIC today.
Meanwhile, sources said German, Greek and Finnish
members of the Kosova Diplomatic (monitoring) Mission visited some conflict
areas in Deçan yesterday (Tuesday).
Kosova Information Center
Last page!
Decan villages come under intensive attacks_______________________________________________________________________PRISHTINE, Aug 12 (ATA) - The offensive of the Serb forces in the villages of Gjakova, Dezan and Junik had been intensified during the last 48 hours, sources of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) said referring to the Kosova Information Center (QIK).
The sources said that the fighting continued on Tuesday in all the villages along the Gjakova-Peja road, Western Kosova, but there were no reports on casualties.
Some 21 Albanians have been killed in the last ten days of the Serb offensive in the commune of Gjakova.
Part of the population in the villages along the Gjakova-Dezan road which were engulfed by recent fighting have been displaced from their houses which are still under artillery attacks.
Some 15.000 inhabitants of these villages are in the fields between Skivjan and Novoselle villages in open air and without food and water. Most of them are women, elderly people, children and sick persons including child-birth women and pregnant ones, the same sources said.
A number of inhabitants have been arrested and no one knows where they are. They are four Albanians arrested in Herez villages and members of two families from Gramazel village, commune of Dezan. The whereabouts of another Albanian arrested in the village of Meqe, Gjakove, are unknown.
The above sources said that Serb military-police forces have blocked the access roads to Gjakova city from Prizren since yesterday. Some 100 Serb policemen deployed in Bishtazhin village, some 7 km from Gjakova, along the way to Prizren, have taken positioned to attack Anadrini villages. They have blocked and returned all passengers coming from Prizren to Gjakova. pta/pas/ak/New album on Kosova soon
LIBRAZHD, Aug 12 (ATA) - By H. Balliu: The epic singer of the Albanian folk music Arif Vladi will soon present a new album for Kosova.
"The album will end soon and by the end of August the tape cassette will be traded," Vladi said to ATA.
The singer has foreseen to give a number of concerts with the new songs of the album for the Albanians of diaspora.
"The concerts will aim at lifting the moral of Albanians wherever they are working or living and the money will be used to help Kosova people," he said.
Arif Vladi, known for his contribution in the stylized folk song for 25 years in succession, was selected by the organisers of the festival "Kjngj jeho" (Echo song) to open this activity in Struga in the first week in August.
The singer who has graduated the song branch at the Highest Institute of Arts in Tirana has become known in the Albanian stage particularly in '80. s.sh/das/ak/875 thousand dollars by Diaconia Agapes office to help 15 000 Kosove refugees in Albania
TIRANE, August 12 (ata) - The Diaconia Agapes office (Service of Love of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania, KOASH, which covers social programs of development and emergency, will realise an intensive emergency aid program for the refugees from Kosova.
The spokesman of KOASH said that the program will be carried out in cooperation with the international organizations ACT (Action of Churches Together,) which is the office of emergencies close to the World Churches Council; IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities,) International Orthodox Organization of Charity from North America and NCA (Norwegian Church Aid,) organization of aid of the Church of Norway.
Upon the initiative of the Arch Bishop of Tirane and all Albania, Anastas Janullatos, the office of Love service will ensure an emergent aid (no food aid) for the coming four months. It consists of new winter clothes, boots and 7 500 beds and mattresses to be given to the host families and to 15 thousand refugees in Northern Albania, who have fled their homes in Kosove to escape violence there.
The spokesman also said the Arch Bishop Anastas has appointed Mrs Penny Delljani, from Illinois (USA) as director of Diaconia Agapes to follow the implementation of the four-month project envisaged to start in September. /s.sh/pas/xh/All possible patterns of autonomy for Kosove will be considered - EU
TIRANE, August 12 (ata) - By Irena Luto:
Regarding the most favourable option for a solution to the crisis in Kosove, the delegation of European troika, visiting Albania since Tuesday, declared on Wednesday before reporters that "the international community and the European Union are exploiting all possible patterns of autonomy to present them to the two parties to the conflict."
The alternatives presented by European diplomats have to do with a selection of autonomies in various countries which may be completely or partially applied depending on how the two negotiating parties will agree. "This," said the head of the delegation, Gerhard Jandl, demands first of all the creation of the conditions for a halt of the violence and to resume negotiations."
Asked what EU would do in case of the crisis spills over to Albania and Macedonia, Jandl said that "this would be a real catastrophe, but military intervention would be realised only on a legal basis."
Referring to the people displaced from Kosove, the European senior diplomats said that "it would be better if efforts were made to ensure the conditions for them to be resettled in their homes and the UNHCR mission and EU representatives in Kosove would give guarantees to the population of that zone."
The European delegation, whose visit was made mainly to examine the bilateral relations between Albania and EU, confirmed in a news conference their guarantee and readiness to improve these relations. /y.pa/das/xh/European Troika in Tropoje
BAJRAM CURRI, August 12 (ata) - By Riza Hoxha:
Wednesday before noon, European troika visited Tropoje district (northern Albania) in which, about 17 thousand Kosovars who have fled their homes, are accommodated.
The aim of the visit was to see closely the present situation in the northeastern Albania and the developments going on there.
In a meeting held in the district council, the delegation took interest in the present situation in that border district, the number of the refugees, their conditions and the situation on the border.
The district council chairman, Xhevdet Hoxha informed the guests that the situation on the border with Albania keeps being grave, while people coming from the war zones continues. Hoxha said that immediate measures were needed to solve the housing problem for the newcomers, moreover when winter is approaching.
Representatives of European Troika stressed their support for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Kosove and the need of continuous aid for that zone to face the problems emerging from the influx of the Kosovars. In this context, they also met with UNHCR representatives and those of other international organizations operating in Tropoje district and were briefed of their work in that district to help the refugees from Kosove.
After a two-hour visit, the delegation of the European troika left Tropoje.
/a.ke/das/xh/
RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 2, No. 154, Part II, 12 August 1998SECURITY COUNCIL TAKES NO ACTION ON KOSOVA.
Fighting continues in western Kosova, AP reported on 12 August. Independent Belgrade Radio B-92 said that Serbian forces are conducting a major assault on Gllogjan near the Decan-Gjakova road. The previous day, the UN Security Council approved a statement in which it appealed to both sides in the Kosova dispute to seek a "final end to the violence" and a "meaningful dialogue" aimed at a negotiated settlement. The text criticized the "ongoing offensive by Belgrade's security forces" but reaffirmed support for federal Yugoslavia's "sovereignty and territorial integrity." The statement also called for the return of all refugees to their homes. "The Washington Post" wrote that the Council's failure to pass a formal resolution on Kosova "underscored anew the degree to which the United Nations has been forced into the role of a relatively passive observer" in the Kosova crisis. PM
ARE WEAPONS THE PROBLEM?
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in New York on 11 August that Annan is concerned that Belgrade "may be conducting a 'scorched-earth policy' in some areas" of Kosova. The spokesman added that Annan is also worried by "the continuing infiltration from outside...Yugoslavia of weapons and fighting men." The Security Council statement expressed similar concern. Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Yurii Fedotov stressed that Moscow will not support any tough resolution on Kosova unless the international community first finds a way to monitor the flow of arms into the province. He told AP that "preventing the flow of arms would help resolve the crisis." Fedotov also noted that Milosevic is willing to negotiate but that the Kosovars have yet to agree on the composition of their delegation for any future talks. PM
SERBIA EXPELS GERMAN JOURNALIST.
The Serbian authorities have declared the veteran Balkan correspondent Erich Rathfelder persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country, the German satellite broadcaster NTV reported on 12 August. Rathfelder wrote in the Berlin daily "taz" and in Vienna's "Die Presse" on 5 August that members of the Serbian forces in Kosova buried hundreds of ethnic Albanian civilians in mass graves in Rahovec. EU monitors were subsequently unable to confirm that report. Rathfelder and his editors stand by their story and have called for international forensics experts to investigate (see "RFE/RL Bosnia Report," 12 August 1998). Rathfelder is the author of several books on the former Yugoslavia, including a recent one on the war in Bosnia. PM
MONTENEGRO REFUSES TO SEND REINFORCEMENTS.
An unnamed advisor to the Montenegrin government told London's "The Guardian" of 12 August that the government turned down a request by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic the previous week to send reinforcements for the paramilitary police in Kosova. The adviser told the newspaper that "Milosevic doesn't understand that you cannot win a war if you commit war crimes. You simply create new soldiers, who join the opposing side to avenge their families." Another unidentified official in Podgorica said that the military authorities have respected Montenegro's wish that Montenegrin conscripts not be sent to Kosova. He added that the generals realize that young Montenegrins "do not care" whether Kosova remains part of Serbia. Also in Montenegro, an Austrian refugee relief worker told Austrian Radio that Montenegrins increasingly regard themselves as "Montenegrins and not as a sub-group of Serbs" as a result of Milosevic's policies in Bosnia and Kosova. PM
CROATIA TURNS DOWN MONTENEGRIN AID OFFER.
A spokesman for the Croatian government told "Slobodna Dalmacija" of 12 August that the Dubrovnik region does not want the aid offered by the Montenegrin border town of Herceg Novi in response to the recent wave of fires that has swept much of Dalmatia. The spokesman stressed that Croatia has no need of assistance from those "who killed our children" during the 1991 war and whose unexploded shells continue to cause injury. In Dubrovnik, another government spokesman said that the authorities have registered some 155 fires in Dalmatia since 5 August, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported. PM
KARADZIC PARTY TO SIT OUT CAMPAIGN.
Dragan Kalinic, who heads the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) loyal to Radovan Karadzic, said in Banja Luka on 11 August that his party has stopped campaign activities for the 12-13 September Bosnian general elections. Kalinic charged that the SDS has long been the object of a "witch hunt" led by the government of Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic and Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. Kalinic added that his party's candidates feel that their security is threatened in the wake of the recent killing of pro-Plavsic police official Srdjan Knezevic (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 August 1998). Pro-Plavsic Interior Minister Milovan Stankovic subsequently suggested that Momcilo Krajisnik, who is a leading SDS member and the Serbian member of the Bosnian joint presidency, ordered Knezevic's assassination. Krajisnik called the charge a "filthy lie and Goebbels-type propaganda," "Nasa Borba" reported on 12 August. PM
ALBANIA, MACEDONIA, WORLD BANK TO PROTECT LAKE OHRID.
The ambassadors to the U.S. of Albania and Macedonia met with World Bank representatives on 10 August in Washington and signed an agreement to protect Lake Ohrid. The agreement seeks to develop joint management of the region around the lake and protect the nearby natural springs and the region's wild-life, ATSH news agency reported. FS
CONTROVERSY OVER ALBANIAN SECRET SERVICE LAW.
Namik Dokle, the deputy speaker of the parliament, told "Gazeta Shqiptare" of 11 August that he opposes the recent draft law regulating the National Information Service. He said the bill bans the service from giving any information to government ministers or parliamentary deputies without the prior approval of the parliamentary speaker and the prime minister. Dokle added that the draft also increases the prime minister's authority over the secret service at the expense of the president. "Gazeta Shqiptare," however, pointed out that most Socialist Party legislators seek early passage of the bill on the grounds that Islamic fundamentalists have recently stepped up their activities. Spokesmen for the opposition Democratic Party have criticized the draft, arguing that it undermines parliamentary control over the service and allows the service to investigate politicians. FS
ALBANIAN CULTURE MINISTRY ACCUSES MOVIE DISTRIBUTOR OF THEFT.
Culture Ministry official Blendi Gonxhe has accused Genc Ruzhdi, director of the Alba-Film Distribution company, of theft. Gonxhe told the ATSH news agency on 11 August that since 1991, Ruzhdi has sold hundreds of films, documentaries, and animated cartoons to private television companies at prices well below their value. Gonxhe added that an unspecified number of "video tapes, [movies, and] pieces of electronic equipment are missing" from Alba-Film's archives. And he noted that Ruzhdi recently prepared to sell "truckloads of movies at low prices." FS
European troika says EU backs stop of violence in Kosova_______________________________________________________________________TIRANA, Aug 11 (ATA) - By Irena Luto: The European Troika delegation, which arrived in Tirana to consult with the leaders of the Albanian state concerning a solution to the Kosova crisis, reiterated the stand of the European Union (EU) for a prompt stop to violence in Kosova and a peaceful solution to the crisis, Ilir Meta, Secretary for European Integration said to ATA following a meeting with Troika delegation.
"The EU Troika delegation favours an increase of pressure against Belgrade and creation of conditions for negotiations between warring sides," Meta said.
The delegation, headed by Gerhard Jandi, Austria's representative which is holding EU current presidency and including also British and German representatives.
The press office at the Albanian Foreign Ministry said that the main topic in today's talks between Meta and Troika delegation was the present state of relations between Albania and the European Union and the grave situation in Kosova.
As regards the relations of Albania with the EU, the troika delegation praised the achievement of the Albanian government in political, economic and institutional reforms and especially "praised the signing of ESAF 2 agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The same sources said that the troika representatives "condemn any kind of boycott against democratic institutions in Albania."
The delegation also backed Albania's initiative for an international conference for Albania in Tirana, offering their contribution to its success.
As regards the grave situation in Kosova, the troika representatives strongly condemned Belgrade's offensive against Albanians in Kosova as well as the humanitarian catastrophe they caused.
"Pressure against Belgrade should continue," said Jandi, head of the delegation.
Meta, number two of the Albanian diplomacy, said that the Albanians are being prepared to come out with an all embracing representation for the future of Kosova which will be ready to assume the responsibility for the future of Kosova responding the demands of the international community.
As regards the political status of Kosova, Meta said that the Albanian government upheld the well-known stand that of the self-rule and opposes change of borders by force.
On Wednesday, Troika delegation will visit Tropoja where most of the Kosova refugees have been settled and will leave for an official visit to Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. /ypa/ak/Jandl says EU praises Albania's progress in all fields
TIRANA, Aug 11 (ATA) - By Y. Pata: Bilateral relations between Albanian and the European Union as well as the situation in Kosova were on the focus of talks between the Albanian deputy prime minister Kastriot Islami and the European troika delegation headed by the chief of the South Balkan Directorate at the Austrian Foreign Ministry Gerhard Jandl.
Islami briefed the guests on the situation in Albania and priorities of the Albanian government, press and information department at the Council of Ministers said in a press communique obtained by ATA.
He said that the process of drawing up a constitution was over and the Council of Ministers was expected to approve an action plan on fight against corruption within the week.
Islami told the Troika delegation that the prime minister Fatos Nano had order the Ministry of Public Order, Ministry of Defence and that of the Local Government to draw up a detailed strategy which will cover the whole northeastern area of Albania whose aim was to fight organised crime, establish order and tranquillity as well as prevent weapons trafficking to Kosova.
Islami asked for the assistance of the European Union in logistics and training programmes for Albanian police units particularly those of the northeastern area of Albania.
Focusing on the recent situation in Kosova and the military offensive undertaken by the regime of Milosevic, deputy prime minister Islami said that these rendered difficult the efforts to find ways of dialogue and incited a new influx, whose accommodation would become difficult with the approach of winter.
A solution to the Kosova conflict should be peaceful guaranteeing a unique stand of all Albanian realities in Kosova.
Jandl shared the same view saying that he backed the line followed by the Albanian government. He said that the EU has praised Albania's recent progress in all fields, including establishment of tranquillity and order particularly in the northern area of Albania, fight against corruption and illegal trafficking.
Another important issue being dealt with was a donors' conference to be held in Tirana in October to analyse the ongoing projects and define programmes of future investments.
Jandl assured Islami that the E.U. will promote cooperation with Albania in the trade and fishing, influence attraction of foreign investments in Albania and strongly support high ranking participation in the international conference for Albania in October this year. ake/pas/ak/100 Kosova people arrived in Shkodra
SHKODER, Aug 12 (ATA) - By M. Malja: Number of Kosova people who have arrived in Shkodra city recently is 100.
Town hall secretary Bardhosh Shaqiri said to ATA that 40 of them, including women, children and elderly people from villages of Peja, were settled in families of Shkodra residents.
The Italian Caritas has set up a center with 200 beds near the Catholic Church to accommodate other possible refugees.
The Albanian Red Cross is continuing to distribute aid for the first 60 people such as cooking oil, sugar, rice, detergent, mattresses and blankets.
Shaqiri said that an office welcoming persons coming from Kosova was opened by the town hall. s.sh/pas/ak/
Deçan, 11 August (ARTA) 1830CET--
Large Serb police\military forces headed this
morning in the direction of the villages of Carrabreg, Prejlep and Gramaçel.
Over 110 vehicles and 36 tanks, escorted by heavy weaponry, went from the
direction of Pejë to the direction of Deçan, Albanian sources
from the ground inform. These forces started shelling the village of Gramaçel,
in the early morning hours. On the other hand, following the shelling of
the villages Llukë e Epërme, Beleg, Carrabreg and Gramaçel,
thousands of residents of this area, fled in the direction of the village
Isniq and the surrounding villages.
LDK information sources in Deçan, state
that the last offensive resulted with a high number of killed and wounded
civilians from both sides. So far, Albanian sources managed to confirm
the death of one person killed in Baballoç.
CDHRF in Deçan, stated that the target
of the Serb forces' uninterrupted shelling, which engaged in this attack
over 60 tanks, 40 APCs and many other fighting vehicles, were the villages
of Gramaçel, Baballoç, Dubravë, Llukë e Epërme,
Shaptej, Prejlep, Gllogjan and Irzniq.
Albanian sources from the field claim that the
escapees, mainly women, children and elderly are in a very difficult situation
and are sealed off from all sides, thus there is fear that a possible massacre
could be conducted on them.
There are claims that over 15.000 people are
presently living outdoors in the shelled villages of Gramaçel, Baballoç
and Dubravë. They are under a constant threat from the Serb forces,
which shoot at everything that moves. Over 80.000 people, the majority
being children, women and elderly, from the municipality of Deçan,
but also from Rekë e Keqe, Pejë and Malishevë, are now settled
in Irzniq, Prapaçan and Strellc i Ulët.
KOSOVA (houses burning Klinë)
76 out of 86 houses in Kërrnicë
are burnt
Klinë, 11 August (ARTA) 1700CET--
The escape of the people in various directions
because of the Serb operation has recently resulted with the separation
of the members of some families and losses of contact. Because the lacking
of possibilities to communicate with each other, many people have been
announced through the media as missing, killed or abducted.
In Kërrnicë, four locals who were thought
to be missing according to RTSH (Albanian Television) are alive and their
residence is known.
On the other hand, the Serb police and military
have burnt 76 houses out of total 86 in Kërrnicë as well the
new school building.
In Gjurgjevik i Vogël, three houses were
burnt. Yet, 60% of the municipal area has no people or there are very few
of them. In the villages of Lugu i Leshanit the return of Albanian population,
dislocated in fear of an eventual attack, similar to those that took place
in Potërç i Epërm, Jabllanicë and Kliçinë,
has started.
KOSOVA (health situation deteriorates Suharekë)
Infectious diseases attack
Suharekë 11 August, (ARTA) 1500CET
Different health associations inform that during
their visits to the displaced families, they have noticed a large expansion
of different infectious diseases such as scabies, diarrhea, variola, and
lice. These diseases are particularly striking the young children, because
of the catastrophic living conditions. The adults are not spared either.
The "Nëna Tereze" health facility in Suharekë
has been notified about this alarming situation, and they are making maximal
efforts to try and prevent the expansion, by engaging their mobile medical
teams.
Rexhep Kuçi, head of the health facility,
said among others: "we have alarmed the international humanitarian institutions
in Prishtina. Subsequently, UNICEF has delivered a quantity of medicine
and other hygienic items for the children. However, there is still great
lack of antibiotics and other basic medicine, that could prevent the further
expansion of these diseases".
KOSOVA (brutality Mitrovicë)
Even children are not spared
Mitrovicë, 11 August (ARTA) 1500CET--
Yesterday in Mitrovicë, many Albanian citizens
were maltreated and beaten up by Serb police. In the local bus station,
Serb police beat up Zenë Sokoli, Abaz Peci dhe Enver Peci.
Zenë Sokoli paid the heaviest toll: police
badly injured him one eye and the lips. In addition, Shefki Beqiri from
Kçiç i Madh village, Osman Osmani and Fahri Dibrani from
Vërrnicë were stopped and beaten by police in Shipol.
At around 1550CET, the police stopped a car with
English license plates, driven by Gil Ounie, who was accompanied by her
husband Phill Edward and two other travelers. These were British representatives
for Educational Affairs, and they were interested to know what happened
with the children of "Trepça" miners. The police, however, ordered
them to go back.
Yesterday evening, Serb Police intervened in
the "Tjegullorja" neighborhood. They shot on the air and beat Fatmir Aliu
and a seven years old child, Enis Hoti.
A big explosion was heard in the northern part
of Mitrovicë today at 0905CET, while a military aircraft flew a couple
of times over the town.
KOSOVA (power cuts Pejë)
Entire town without electric energy
Pejë, 11 August (ARTA) 1700CET--
The town of Pejë and its municipal villages
are without electric energy since yesterday at 1000CET. The workers of
"Elektrokosova" say that the power relay somewhere near Peqeshqë village
was shelled and consequently the entire region remained without electric
power.
Meanwhile, since early morning, armored vehicles
full with Serb policemen and paramilitaries crusaded through the town and
provoked the citizens. In addition, several helicopters flew over the town
at a very low altitude.
KOSOVA (police reinforcements Podujevë)
Serb forces situated also in Obranxhë
Podujevë, 11 August (ARTA) 1830CET--
Serb forces settled yesterday in " Tabet e Llapashticës",
while in the afternoon, they were deployed also in Obranxhë, near
the local school building. According to the information sources in Podujevë,
at 1315CET, three tanks, four military armored vehicles "Praga" with anti
aircraft cannons, seven terrain vehicles with RPGs, 20 trucks with soldiers,
two trucks with radio equipment, one ambulance and two bulldozers joined
the troops, and immediately started to build barricades and trenches".
According to the same sources "at 1300CET, three tanks and one truck full
with soldiers, came back from the field base in Llaushë".
Before these forces were situated, police with
armored vehicles strengthened the exit points of the town in order to ensure
free path for the convoy, while the military planes and helicopters with
the lights off, observed the area of these villages. All these military
forces have passed through the town of Podujevë.
KOSOVA (police brutality Rahovec)
The police "Rahovec is the second Trepça
of Kosova"
Prizren, 11 August (ARTA) 1830CET--
According to the testimony of an eyewitness from
"Tuneli" neighborhood, Xhelal Thaçi, the Serb police squared to
the ground 14 houses out of total 120, in this area. Many of them have
been looted first and burnt afterwards. The burnt houses belong to Arif,
Maxhun, Ramiz, Xhelal and Ramadan Thaçi from Xërxë. The
Serb police who is situated in this neighborhood, together with the forces
in "Gradish" and the snipers from "Mullini" of this village, dont allow
the dislocated people to return to their homes.
The Serb police situated in Xërxë is
pressuring the owners of the burnt houses to go to the police station in
Rahovec and declare why they houses were burnt. The police is trying to
disguise the crime with compelled statements. These witnesses confirmed
that there are 96 burnt houses in Bellacerkë village, near the Prizren-Rahovec
road, and immense human and material damages.
Many witnesses came today to the local emergency
council in Prizren and spoke of the very difficult situation that is prevailing
in Rahovec. They say that Serb snipers installed in high buildings, do
not stop firing day and night and plundering the Albanian families, saying
that "Rahovec is the second Trepça of Kosova".
The most severe case is that of Shani Dërguti,
jeweler. He was looted 100 golden medallions worth over 20.000 DM and other
jewelry.
The same sources state that the Serb police killed
Faik Sylka, music professor and political activist. His house has been
usurped by the police and has become their radio base station.
KOSOVA (IDPs Rahovec/Malishevë)
15.100 people are sheltered in Prizren municipality
Prizren, 11 August (ARTA) 1530CET--
The flux of the displaced coming from the flashpoints
into Prizren and its surroundings does not stop. So far, there are 15.100
people sheltered in Prizren area. Most of them are women and children.
According to a report from the local emergency council, IDPs are living
in very bad conditions especially Rahovec and Malishevë villages Krushë
të Madhe, Pagarushë, Rogosë, Kravasari, Gurisht and Ngucat.
This Council has confirmed that sheltering has become very difficult, so
they appeal to the Humanitarian Associations and the international factors
to find an urgent solution for the non sheltered people who have been compelled
to leave their homes because of the intensified violence of Serb forces.
KOSOVA (trial Prizren)
The trial of Albanian students is postponed
Prizren, 11 August (ARTA) 1700CET--
The chairman of the panel jury of the Serb run
court in Prizren , Jovica Mitrovic, postponed the trial of 9 Albanian students,
which was scheduled to start today, with the justification that "the situation
has escalated also in Ferizaj".
According to the statement of this judge, the
trial will resume on 20 August 1998.
As yet, the situation in Prizren is tense. At
around 0530CET a motorized military and police convoy went toward Gjakovë.
Another convoy left at 1230CET toward the same direction.
ALBANIA/KOSOVA (Albanian Foreign Ministry - statement)
Belgrade has violated the Albanian air space
Tirana, 11 August (ARTA) 1815CET--
"In its aspirations to justify the military actions
for the ethnic cleansing in Kosova, the Serb propaganda is carrying on
with its attempts to disseminate as much misinformation as possible, including
the direct accusation of Albania. The most current information, repeated
dozens of times by the official informative Belgrade, was its allegation
on the training of the troops that are fighting in Kosova, in special camps
in Albania mainly in the northern part. Once again, we are forced to say
that all these claims are based on false grounds.
The Albanian sources in the Public Order Ministry,
that control the situation in the country and keep watch on the Albanian
state border, denounce the accusations of the Serb propagandistic machinery,
labeling them as ungrounded and with malicious background. There are no
military camps in the north or the south, where the Albanian troops conduct
their training to carry out fighting in Kosova. The senior officials in
Belgrade, that direct the old imposed propaganda in "Yugoslavia", are still
not aware or do not want to be aware that, it is precisely their military
actions aiming at ethnic cleansing that are forcing the Kosova Albanians
to defend their families, homes and land. Concerning the arms trafficking
from Albania, the Albanian Government is completely engaged in preventing
any kind of arms trafficking in the direction of "Yugoslavia", closely
collaborating with the international bodies.
However, Belgrade's politicians and military,
using the mentioned accusations, are trying to hide their provocative actions
of the type of the bordering incidents with Albania. The best solution
would be for them to give up their empty rhetoric and start immediately
undertaking measures to stop at any price every violation of the Albanian
space, as it happened this last weekend, when the "Yugoslav" military helicopters
violated the Albanian air space. Such incidents could cause an escalation
of the conflict. If Belgrade wants to impose such a conflicting policy
with regional dimensions, then the responsibility and the consequences
of this conflict will belong entirely to it", it is stated in the statement
of the Albanian Foreign Ministry.
A Modest Convoy
On Friday, August 7th, Mercy Corps International distributed 72 metric tons of wheat flour to three towns in Kosovo, Lipjan, Ferizaj, and Nekoc. The distributions were part of MCI's regular flour program plus flour for the IDP population. The distribution went smoothly and police at checkpoints were professional and courteous. MCI staff wanted to return to the village of Terpeze in the municipality of Malisevo/Malisheva to check in on the distribution it did on Tuesday of last week but were prevented by UCK checkpoints who refused staff access to the roads leading to the village.
A Return Assessment
On Monday, August 10th, MCI staff were able to
make a return trip to Terpeze via the road from Pristina to Pec/Peja. Police
at the checkpoint in Komoran were professional and courteous and other
police encountered along the road did not bother staff.
Staff did come upon
one home which had been set on fire minutes before in the village of Llapushnik.
On the return trip later that afternoon, the home could be seen, completely
gutted.
Staff were able to visit
the ravine near Terpeze which they had visited on Tuesday of last week.
It is estimated that about 300 of the 1,000 plus IDPs who were occupying
the stream had left for Pristina and other villages or had moved to what
they believed to be safter locations. Two nights previous, five mortar
shells had landed near the IDPs and had frightened many away. Additionally,
some had returned to their homes as a major rainstorm had many convinced
the water level in the stream would rise.
Several of the IDPs
encountered said that of those who left, many would return as they were
simply moving back and forth between areas they believed safest.
Staff did learn that
the commodities delivered on Tuesday were distributed that day.
We will continue to
keep you updated on this humanitarian crisis as it unfolds.
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