Kosova Daily Report #1403, 98-04-17

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

Kosova Information Center

KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1403

Prishtina, 17 April 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Summary from President Rugova's Press Conference

[02] Two Young Albanians Wounded at Ponoshec Village Thursday

[03] Serb Military Aircraft Flying over Border Zone with Albania

[04] Serb Soldiers Rehearse in Estates of Albanians in Vushtrri Villages

[05] Serb Military Units Reported Garrisoned at Zajm of Klina

[06] Albanian Students Permanently Targeted by Serb Police in Vushtrri

[07] Serbian Soldiers Shoot at Family Car at Hani i Elezit

[08] LDK Activists Harassed and Plundered by Serbian Security in Prishtina

[09] LDK Chairman in Dragash Under Repeated Serbian Security Pressure

[01] Summary from President Rugova's Press Conference

Speaking during his press conference in Prishtina today (Friday), Dr. Ibrahim Rugova took the opportunity to thank U.S. legislator Patrick Kennedy, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, as well as other European and American diplomats who have visited Kosova this past week.

The situation in Kosova continues to be grave, the President said.

"Several villages in the region of Drenica are still under [Serb] siege, in the wake of last month's massacres", Rugova said, referring also to what he called "systematic repression and terror" in Kosova.

President Ibrahim Rugova reconfirmed the commitment of the Kosova leadership to dialogue. He urged the "Belgrade team meet with the Kosova negotiating team in a neutral country/venue, with international participation, as called for by the Contact Group ministerial meeting in Bonn, and indeed the international community".

"There can be no succession of the former Yugoslavia without Kosova", Dr. Ibrahim Rugova emphasized, reiterating that the best solution is an independent and neutral Kosova, on the basis of the [1991] referendum, "with all guarantees for local Serbs".

In reply to a question regarding yesterday's [Thursday] incident at the Kosova-Albanian border zone, President Rugova said such incidents have been taking place for some time now. "This incident too is aimed at provoking the situation in Kosova. We do not like to see such incidents occurring", the Kosova leader concluded.

[02] Two Young Albanians Wounded at Ponoshec Village Thursday

The wounds received by the two young people are not life- threatening, the LDK said.

Serbian military and police forces, backed by tanks, have been stationed at Ponoshec, the LDK branch sources said, adding that the Serb forces have been provoking the local population.

Part of the inhabitants of the village have been reported leaving the village for the town of Gjakova or the villages in the municipality.

The Kosova Albanian population living along the Kosova-Albania border zone have borne the brunt of a huge Serb police and military presence in the area in the past several years, but also sweeps of gangs from Albania in the past year. Local Kosovars were killed by Serb forces. Gangs from Albania, who have been engaged in plundering sweeps in the Kosova Albanian villages last year, have left several Kosovars killed in their homesteads.

Meanwhile, the Serbian media reported yesterday about armed conflicts between Serb military and "a group of arms traffickers from Albania, crossing over to Kosova".

There were many victims on the side of the group coming from Albania, the Serb press says.

Several armed incidents took place yesterday (Thursday), beginning in the small hours.

The armed incidents occurred 300 meters inside the Kosova territory, the Serb media said, putting the number of arms traffickers engaged in shoot- out incident at 60.

Albania's Foreign Minister Paskal Milo was quoted as saying the 'Yugoslav' side will be making allegations on such incidents in the run-up to the Contact Group meeting on Kosova, scheduled for 29 April.

"Lacking the will to comply with demands of the Contact Group, the Serbs are accusing not only Kosova Albanians, but also the Albanian state itself", Paskal Milo said in Tirana.

[03] Serb Military Aircraft Flying over Border Zone with Albania

Arms fire was heard too, according to the LDK.

In the morning today (Friday), cars of Serb security officers have been reported seen in the village of Junik in the municipality of De^an.

Two Serb police expeditions - armed policemen wearing bullet-proof jackets - were in Junik yesterday, survelling the terrain, LDK sources said.

[04] Serb Soldiers Rehearse in Estates of Albanians in Vushtrri Villages

The LDK Information Commission in Vushtrri said that a Serb army convoy in armored vehicles, trucks and other military equipment was seen entering Okrashtica village today morning.

A couple-of-hour Serb army maneuver was performed today in the fields around the villages of Pantina, Frash&r i Madh and Okrashtica. Serb soldiers reportedly trespassed estates of local residents, whereas in some of the cases they even intruded into the houses of Albanians while rehearsing.

The Commission said the Serb army forces began withdrawing from the area at about 12:15.

[05] Serb Military Units Reported Garrisoned at Zajm of Klina

The LDK Information Commission in Klina said that Serb soldiers in 8 tanks, 13 trucks trailing high-calibre cannons, and an ambulance car were garrisoned in the fields and forests around Zym, as well as in the village itself.

[06] Albanian Students Permanently Targeted by Serb Police in Vushtrri

The LDK Information Commission in Vushtrri said students have been routinely subjected to maltreatment while on their way to and back from school.

Ruzhdi Igrishta, a second year secondary school was beaten Thursday at the Serb police check point at Nadakovc on Thursday.

At another police road block at a place called Ura a Gurit the Serb police beat up yesterday the secondary school students Kadri Rama, Fatmir Beqiri and Blerim Lahu.

[07] Serbian Soldiers Shoot at Family Car at Hani i Elezit

Mr. Vila stopped his car immediately. The Serbian soldiers approached him, searched the car thoroughly and before letting them go they "apologized!" In the car there were two women, sisters to Mr. Vila and four children.

Sali Vila was stopped again by the Serbian soldiers on his way back and scrutinized. He told LDK Information Commission that while the Serbian soldiers were holding him they shot in the direction of a couple of youth who were crossing the Lepenc river.

Mr. Vila said he was stopped the third time by another Serbian military patrol only hundred meters away from the last one and harassed.

[08] LDK Activists Harassed and Plundered by Serbian Security in Prishtina

They were taken to the Serbian security, harassed and interrogated for two hours. The Serbian security seized 665 DM from Islam Visoka.

[09] LDK Chairman in Dragash Under Repeated Serbian Security Pressure

He was interrogated for the fifth time Thursday.

The Serbian security went to Halim Shemsedini's home Wednesday, summoning him to report at the Serbian security yesterday. He was interrogated widely about his political activities, the party he chairs, and a so-called "national security and defence council".

He was released after the interrogation, but the Serbian security told him "we have not finished with you yet. We will meet again and talk about the national security and defence council", LDK sources said.

Dragash municipality borders Albania in western Kosova.

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