Kosova Daily Report #1541, 98-09-03

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1541
Prishtina, 3 September 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Serb Troops Launch Full-Scale Attack against Albanian Villages Straddling Four Municipalities of Kosova

[02] Serb Offensive Against Villages of Prizren Resumes Thursday Morning

[03] "Only a pro-Kosova Point of Departure Guarantees Success for Interim Settlement"

[04] Clinton, Yeltsin Press for Cessation of Armed Actions, Interim Settlement in Kosova

[05] Five Villages of Rahovec Attacked by Serbs Troops Today Morning

[06] Serb Troops Shell Albanian Villages in Skenderaj Thursday

[07] Albanian Communities in Border Area in Flames as Serbs Pound Them With Impunity

[08] Heavy Serb Troops Building up around Villages of Llapi Region, Nothern Kosova

[09] Serb Troops Pillage and Burn Albanian Village near Suhareka

[10] Serb Armed Actions, Campaign of Destruction and Repression, Continue in Gjakova Area

[11] Serb Police and Civilians Arrest 23 Albanians in Vushtrri

[01] Serb Troops Launch Full-Scale Attack against Albanian Villages Straddling Four Municipalities of Kosova

A source from the village of Krush& in Prizren told the KIC that the villages of Drenoc, Pata^an and Bratkofc were being attacked by Serb forces. These are villages with hundreds of households, which have recently housed a lot of Albanians driven out from their homes elsewhere in Kosova.

The LDK Information Commission in Klina said Serb forces started attacking today morning (6:30 hrs) the villages of Gremnik, ^upev& e Ul&t, ^upev& e Ep&rme, Volljak& and Sferk&. Serbs launched their attack today morning, at 6:30 hrs, from their positions in Dollc and Zajm.

Tens of thousands of Albanians have found shelter in this region in the past few weeks.

[02] Serb Offensive Against Villages of Prizren Resumes Thursday Morning

A couple of suburbs of Prizren and the villages of Lez, Lubi^ev&, Leskovec, Kushnin, Jeshkov&, Ho^& e Qytetit, Billush& and Poslish, which are located alongside the Prizren - Zhur roadway and area adjacent to the Kosova- Albanian border, have come under repeated attacks by Serb troops since Tuesday morning.

A still unspecified number of Albanians have been reported killed and wounded in the past two days. The bodies of 7 killed persons were taken to the Prizren hospital morgue on Tuesday evening. Serb occupying authorities said 15 Albanians were killed by Serb troops in the area on Tuesday alone.

Witnesses told the LDK chapter in Prizren that the villages under Serb attack have suffered immense destruction.

The Lez village was levelled to the ground by yesterday morning.

Witnesses said another Albanian settlement, the Lubi^ev& village, was pounded with heavy artillery fire for hours yesterday and that the casualty tall there was very high.

In the fighting around the villages of Lubi^ev& and Jeshkov& at least 20 members of the U^K (Kosova Liberation Army) were killed yesterday, Serb occupying authorities in Prizren told Serb media.

Kosova Information Center

[03] "Only a pro-Kosova Point of Departure Guarantees Success for Interim Settlement"

"Only a pro-Kosova point of departure guarantees success for interim settlement" is entitled the leading article by Enver Maloku, the editor-in- chief of the recently launched Albanian- language evening daily newspaper published by the Kosova Information Center (KIC).

Having summarized at the outset the main points of the 'interim settlement' idea - the time-frame, restoration of institutions, normalization of life, etc., pending a lasting solution for status of Kosova - Enver Maloku goes on to write: "Reportedly, the three parties involved in the Kosova conflict - Prishtina, Belgrade, and the international factor - have prepared a draft agreement each.

Although the public opinion, and, it seems, political circles, are not acquainted with the contents of the draft projects, excepting the remarks made by Mr.[Chris] Hill [the U.S. envoy for Kosova], the three proposals are said to be quite divergent. For the time being, nobody can say when, if at all, can such a settlement be reached, nor how would that eventual agreement be received."

At this stage, when the contents of the draft papers are by and large unknown, of paramount importance is the point of departure, how the Kosova issue is addressed, the Informatori writer Enver Maloku notes. "There is reasonable fear that international factors - which as a rule side with the militarily stronger side and pursue easy solutions - submit or subscribe to a great measure to the Serb position, which, in 1912 and 1918, in 1944-45, and in the process of the violent dismemberment of the former Yugoslavia in 1991, is the position of an aggressor".

The Albanian people, but also the world public opinion, is hopeful that the international community will pursue a solution to the Kosova issue not from an aggressor's starting position, as was the case in the past, but rather "from the position of the natural right of the people of Kosova to freedom, self-determination and independence", Enver Maloku writes. The international factors involved in addressing the Kosova issue have got now the opportunity to rectify their tragic mistakes of the past two centuries which have cost dearly the Albanian people and Kosova, he adds. "If the international community aims at a durable solution, it should in the interim settlement enshrine and respect the position of the people who are resisting and fighting for freedom.

Ultimately, only such a project and arrangement stands any chance of success".

The Informatori leading article then goes as follows: "The idea for an interim settlement, although it will be exploited by diplomats while concrete action is lacking, has impressed nobody. Some European analysts and diplomats saw this move as an effort by Milosevic to gain time. Evidence to this are the continued [Serb] attacks up and down Kosova. The time pending the conclusion of an eventual settlement agreement will be used by Belgrade to continue with its attacks aimed at exterminating the people of Kosova. Even if an agreement is reached, Belgrade will press ahead with its policies while putting off infinitely the actual implementation of the agreement. In proof of this stands the overdue, still unimplemented Education Accord [reached by Milosevic and Rugova two years ago].

The international community has the opportunity and the means to enforce and guarantee a settlement that would back the position of the people [of Kosova] for freedom and independence.", Enver Maloku concludes.

[04] Clinton, Yeltsin Press for Cessation of Armed Actions, Interim Settlement in Kosova

The statement noted with concern that the situation in Kosova continues to deteriorate, and pressed for urgent measures to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. All refugees and displaced persons should return to their homes. "The scope and acuteness of the problem call for urgent joint actions of the authorities in Belgrade, the Kosovo Albanians, and international humanitarian organizations. Constant international monitoring in the field, accompanied both by progressive withdrawal of Serb security forces to their permanent locations, and the cessation of armed actions by the Kosovo Albanians, are needed to inspire confidence among people in their safety and prospects for restoring normal life.", the joint Clinton- Yeltsin statement said.

The cessation of violence and amelioration of the humanitarian situation ["over 200,000 people were forced to leave their homes as a result of armed clashes. The situation is aggravated by large- scale destruction of houses, food shortages, and the risk of epidemic disease"] would facilitate the creation of a favorable environment for progress in the negotiation process "over the entire range of issues", the two Presidents said.

"President Milosevic and all Kosovo Albanian leaders should engage actively in the negotiating process, with a view toward achieving a political solution to the crisis and a framework for durable peace in Kosovo", the joint Clinton-Yeltsin statement concludes.

[05] Five Villages of Rahovec Attacked by Serbs Troops Today Morning

Heavy Serb troops launched early in the morning today a large-scale attack against a number of villages straddling the municipalities of Malisheva, Klina, Gjakova and Rahovec in central and south-west Kosova The villages of Drenoc, Senoc, Ratkoc, Polluzh& and Mal&si e Vog&l, that fall administratively in Rahovec municipality, were bombarded with all kinds of weaponry, including large-calibre artillery, the LDK chapter in Prizren said.

No reports about possible casualties in these five villages has been available by early afternoon.

[06] Serb Troops Shell Albanian Villages in Skenderaj Thursday

The chapter of the Prishtina-based Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Skenderaj said since early in the morning today the villages of Tic& and Plluzhin& were pounded from A^areva, whereas the villages of Vojnik& and Broja were attacked from another Serb base at Jashanica.

The villages that came under Serb fire today morning were amongst the first to have been attacked by the Serbs in early spring this year.

The local population in the villages of Tic&, Plluzhin&, Vojnik& and Broja are on the move again today in search of safe heavens, mainly heading towards Mitrovica, the CDHRF said.

The human rights group could not confirm by noon whether there were casualties in the four villages today.

[07] Albanian Communities in Border Area in Flames as Serbs Pound Them With Impunity

Sources said heavy Serb troops in tanks, armored vehicles and trucks trailing heavy cannons, left the town of Gjakova last evening and today morning, heading for the Dushkaj& region and the Kosova-Albanian border zone.

Heavy detonations coming from the area were heard in the town of Gjakova since small hours today. The villages of C&rmjan and Bec and parts of a third one, Kodralia, are all in flames. Roads leading to the area have been completely closed, the LDK chapter said, noting that it could not still confirm reports about possible casualties.

According to estimates by local groups in Gjakova, over 10.000 uprooted people were crammed in the area that came under the Serb fire today. Therefore, a heavy casualty-toll is feared.

The situation in the town of Gjakova itself continues to be highly volatile with ever growing buildup and movement of Serb troops and paramilitary units in the streets and roads leading out, to Prizren in particular. The few buses commuting from Prizren were stopped outside Gjakova and were not allowed to proceed further to the town.

Six Albanian young men of the Kida extended family in Gjakova were reported transferred to jail in Peja today, after being held for one week in the local police station in Gjakova.

[08] Heavy Serb Troops Building up around Villages of Llapi Region, Nothern Kosova

Around 40 army tanks left today morning at round 9:30 a.m., a temporary base in Llausha village, and drove along the town square before being deployed in the vicinity of the villages of Llapashtic& and Obran^&, west of the town of Podujeva, the LDK chapter in the town said.

Serb/Yugoslav army units with heavy armament an machinery camped out for over a week near Obran^a village last month.

The local population in the Llapashtica village began fleeing their homes in fear of an imminent Serb crackdown.

The Serb propaganda has been heralding a possible attack in the Llapi region for several days now. The Serb media center in Prishtina quoted today a spokesman of the Yugoslav army as alleging that 13 Albanians, employees with the "Srbijasuma" firm, were abducted by armed Albanians in Bellasica on Wednesday.

Sources in Podujeva said this afternoon that the Serb troops have been digging in the area, but they have not been involved in any kind of operations whatsoever.

[09] Serb Troops Pillage and Burn Albanian Village near Suhareka

The village was attacked many times during large-scale offensive in the area last month, when most of the farmhouses were destroyed.

Sources said Serb troops advanced into Studen^an today at around midday, setting ablaze the few houses which survived the bombardment in late August and today. Witnesses said that they had seen the Serbs as pillaging the village, loading appliances in lorries, before setting the houses ablaze.

The LDK chapter in Suhareka said it has learned the identity of two Albanians buried as unidentified in the village of Shirok& last week, naming them as Habib Zogaj and Avni Mazreku. The identity of two others buried the same day remains unknown.

[10] Serb Armed Actions, Campaign of Destruction and Repression, Continue in Gjakova Area

Sources said Serb artillery attacks continued in the villages of the Dushkaj& region of Gjakova, where a heavy buildup of Serb military and police is reported.

Reports from the ground said Serb forces continue to prevent displaced Albanians from going to relative safety in areas still not affected by Serb operations.

Serb troops have continued their campaign of destruction of housing and property in Albanian communities in the area, including the looting or burning of domestic implements.

Serb forces continue routinely rounding up Albanian men, civilians, and ill- treating them brutally, LDK sources said, adding that casualties are feared, which have not been confirmed yet.

[11] Serb Police and Civilians Arrest 23 Albanians in Vushtrri

Ten Albanians were apprehended in the railway station in Prilluzh& village, Arsim Hasani from Strofc village, whose brother was also arrested on the occasion, said.

He said that 13 other Albanians were rounded up at the same place a day earlier and were taken to the local Serb police station in Vushtrri. They were all forced off the train at gunpoint and escorted to the police station by police and Serb gunmen, Hasani told the KIC today. He could not say where the detainees are being kept.

The Prilluzha village near Vushtrri, which has a large Serb community, has been turned for months now into a huge base of Serb troop and paramilitary units.

Albanian villages in the area have been repeatedly pounded with machine-gun fire from the village over the past two months.

Kosova Information Center

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