Kosova Daily Report #1382, 98-03-25

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From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1382
Prishtina, 25 March 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Urges for U.S. Mediation

[02] President Rugova Talks on the Phone with President Jacques Chirac of France

[03] Wounded Albanian, in a Comma, Found in His Home at Gllogjan

[04] Telephone Lines Cut to the LDK Offices in De^an

[05] Kosovar Women Demonstrate in Prishtina to Urge Peaceful Resolution of Kosova Crisis

[06] Albanians to Stage Peaceful Protests in Bonn and Washington

[07] Albanian Women Found Dead at River Bank in Mitrovica

[08] Heavy Serb Forces Leave Bujanovc for Ferizaj

[09] Situation in Klina Very Tense, Local Sources Say

[01] President Rugova Urges for U.S. Mediation

In the letter sent to the U.S. State Secretary Albright, British Foreign Minister Cook, German Foreign Minister Kinkel, French Foreign Minister V^Ādrine, Italian Foreign Minister Dini, and Russian Foreign Minister Primakov, President Ibrahim Rugova underlined that the assistance and mediation of the international community in talks is essential to guarantee implementation of any agreements reached through negotiations.

In his letter to the ministers of the big powers, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova asked for the United States to participate in/and facilitate talks, urging the Contact Group to support this request.

[02] President Rugova Talks on the Phone with President Jacques Chirac of France

President Chirac congratulated President Rugova on his re-election.

In the spirit of the Franco-German initiative, the Contact Group and France will pressure Belgrade into starting an unconditioned dialogue with Prishtina in pursuit of a negotiated settlement to the Kosova issue, the French President stressed.

President Ibrahim Rugova of Kosova reconfirmed the steadfast position of the Kosova leadership for the need that the unconditional dialogue with Belgrade should be carried under third party mediation. The best solution is an independent and neutral Kosova, with all rights for local Serbs guaranteed, as well as Serb cultural and economic interests, Dr. Rugova said. This arrangement would calm down the entire region, he stressed during his telephone conversation with Mr. Jacques Chirac.

President Chirac invited President Rugova to visit France.

The Kosova President said he would visit France at an opportune moment. He invited the French President visit Kosova, and urged for stepped up efforts on behalf of France in pursuit of a just and peaceful solution for Kosova.

Gllogjan Village Abandoned, Casualty Toll Unknown in the Wake of Serb Assault Many Albanians reported arrested PRISHTINA, March 25 (KIC) - The Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) branch people in De^an entered today (Wednesday) the Gllogjan village of De^an, which bore the brunt of an assault by heavily- armed Serbian forces yesterday.

The attack, launched at around 10:30 hrs lasted till 21:00 hrs Tuesday. The casualty toll among the local Albanians is yet unknown.

During the Serb onslaught on Gllogjan, Serb forces opened fire on the Shaptej and Dubrava villages, and sporadically targeting Baballoq too, LDK branch sources in De^an said.

Serb forces have withdrawn. The village was abandoned, sources said, but they could not establish a picture regarding the number of casualties, or their names.

Many local Gllogjan inhabitants have been arrested, LDK Information Commission in De^an said, among whom Rasim Selmanaj, a school teacher, Smajl Syl& Nimanaj (70), Shaban R. Zeqiraj (50), Besim Azem Haradinaj (40), Rifat Haradinaj (35), Beqir Haradinaj (32), Shemsedin Haradinaj (30), Lan Halilaj (50), Ahmet Cen& Sylaj, Mone Ahmet Sylaj (f), Lule Mehmetaj (f), Gjejrone Sylaj (f), etc.

The LDK sources said the pupils of the Hasan Prishtina elementary school, who were in school when the Serb attack started, were initially sent to Shaptej village, whereas today they have been given shelter in the local Catholic church at Novosella village of Gjakova municipality. The schoolchildren have not been harmed.

"Inside the village we saw only two local inhabitants,", the LDK people who went into the village today said. They added they saw signs of blood, helmets, bullet-proof jackets, as well as shells of all calibers.

Besides shooting and shelling from heavy weaponry by Serb forces, from noon on yesterday there was gunship fire during all the time, the local inhabitants said.

The two-stored house of Rexhep Haradinaj was shelled and burned, whereas many other houses were hit by Serb artillery, LDK sources said. Considerable damage has been caused to the houses of Shefqet Mehmetaj, Elmi Hardinaj, the three houses of the extended family of Qamil A. Haradinaj, as well as the houses of Xhevat A.

Bajramaj, Nimon Mus& Bajramaj, Smajl Syl& Nimanaj, Met& Syl& Nimanaj, Gani Halil Nimanaj, Isuf Sofiaj, Smajl Haradinaj, Misin Keq& Haradinaj, and the house of Brahim Mustaf& Mustafaj; in this latter house helmets, bullet- proof jackets and inactivated grenades were found. There were signs of blood in Brahim Mustafaj's house, as well as in the house of Shaq& Avdi Qerimaj, which was badly damaged.

Other buildings have been reported shelled in the Gllogjan village.

Evidence of damage caused by Serb forces' attack is everywhere, the LDK sources said.

At around 11:30 hrs scores of heavily-armed Serb policemen were seen in the town of De^an today.

Serb police spoke yesterday of a Serb policeman killed and another wounded in De^an, in a "terrorist action by Albanian terrorists".

The police said two Albanian were killed by Serb forces yesterday.

Some foreign media had reported yesterday of at least four Albanians killed.

There have been reports of a great number of local people fleeing their homes in panic. By the evening yesterday, some 300 Albanian refugees reached the Piskota suburbs of the town of Gjakova. Other displaced people have been reported to have reached other villages in the vicinity of Gjakova.

[03] Wounded Albanian, in a Comma, Found in His Home at Gllogjan

The Albanian was taken to the local Mother Teresa health center in the town of De^an, LDK sources said.

[04] Telephone Lines Cut to the LDK Offices in De^an

[05] Kosovar Women Demonstrate in Prishtina to Urge Peaceful Resolution of Kosova Crisis

The half-an-hour protest under the motto "We ask for peaceful divorce from Serbia" was organized by the Women's Network of Kosova and the Women's Forum of the Democratic League of Kosova.

The peaceful protest started at ten o'clock, and lasted for half an hour.

Saluting with the two-finger ('V') sign, the women protested in calm holding up placards reading "Stop the Serbian Violence" "Drenica, we stand by you", "We do not want war - peace only", "NATO help Us", "Serb police, out of Kosova" The Chairwoman of the LDK Women's Forum Dr. Edi Shukriu told KIC after the rally that the intention of today's manifestation was to alert once more the world about the dangers the unsolved problem of Kosova poses. "Independence for Kosova, a peaceful divorce from Serbia, is the only solution to guarantee lasting peace and stability in the region", she said.

The Serb police did not intervene today against the women protesting in Prishtina. (The six-nation Contact Group is meeting in Bonn to discuss Kosova today. This is probably the explanation why the Serb regime did not intervene to break up the rally, or indeed ill-treat participants.) However, a heavy presence of Serb police forces was reported in several parts of Prishtina since morning hours today. A busload of Serb policemen was seen parked near the student dormitory near Ulpiana neighborhood at around 9:30. The Serbs were heavily armed and wearing bullet-proof vests.

At around 9:15, three Serb policemen intruded into the "Meto Bajraktari" primary school near Dragodan neighborhood, not far from the venue of the women's protest. The three Serb policemen, with their automatic rifles in their hands, walked up and down the corridors and stairways of the school causing panic amongst the pupils. They only left the school bolding when the protest of women was over, sources in the school said.

[06] Albanians to Stage Peaceful Protests in Bonn and Washington

The protest will take place, while the sic-nation Contact Group meets in Bonn to discuss Kosova.

KIC has learned a massive turnout is expected in the protest in Boon today. Albanians living in other Western European countries are expected to join their fellow countrymen living in Germany.

A similar protest is expected to take place in Washington D.C. today (Wednesday).

The protests were called by the Kosova Crisis Council and the Albanian- American community in the United States.

The protest will begin in front of the White House, and the protests will then walk to the Capitol Hill.

The protest is expected to last all day, our sources in the USA reported.

Albanians from New York, Detroit, Chicago and Dallas will be taking part in the demonstration in Washington D.C.

[07] Albanian Women Found Dead at River Bank in Mitrovica

The LDK sources could not provide any information about the circumstances of Ms. Spahiu's death.

[08] Heavy Serb Forces Leave Bujanovc for Ferizaj

The Serb forces convoy passed through Gjilan Tuesday 5.30 p.m., and went in the direction of Ferizaj.

There were two buses, one lorry, four APCs, all carrying Serb forces in police uniforms.

[09] Situation in Klina Very Tense, Local Sources Say

Klina is the neighboring municipality to Skenderaj and several villages which fall in this municipality have been under siege by the Serb forces since last month.

The Serb check points in Kijeva, Dollc and Pogragja villages which have been set up for two months now have become places of constant harassment and repression of Albanian population.

The Serbian police beat severely over the couple of days Jusuf Berisha, Ymer Thaqi, Arif Berisha, Gjem& Tha^i, Hysen Berisha, Baki Tushi, Fahrush Rraci, Maxhun Rraci, Ilaz Raci.

Harassment and intimidation is also carried out in remote villages where the Serb forces conduct their campaigns of harassment and repression periodically. The Serbian police beat severely in Dush and Jashanica Smajl and Daut Marmullakun, Burim Morina, Bekim Mustafaj from Dushi and Jashanica and Llesh Beqiri from Klina.

LDK sources in Klina said Serb forces patrols conduct observance missions in remote villages of Klina, therefore exercising force and harassing Albanian locals. These observance mission are conducted jointly with the Serb army forces.

Meanwhile, a Serb civilian nicknamed as "Pizon" (his surname Pavlovic) and two other Serbs from Klina threatened Monday Rrustem Sferka, member of the local LDK presidency in Klina.

The Serb forces stationed in Kijeva beat severely the Albanian teacher Isa Dakaj Monday, while on his way home from school.

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