Kosova Daily Report #1548, 98-09-10

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Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1548
Prishtina, 10 September 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Clinton Authorizes $20 Million for Kosova Refugees

[02] President Rugova Receives U.S. Diplomat

[03] ...German, French, Swedish and Finnish Diplomats

[04] Albanians in Dire Conditions, Serb Regime Organizes Cynical Carnival in De^an Area

[05] Identity of Three Other Killed Albanians Learned in Prizren

[06] Police Settled in Albanian Houses in Suhareka Municipality

[07] Pregnant Refugee Women in Desperate Need of Medical Assistance

[08] Unidentified Gunmen Abduct Albanian near Prishtina

[01] President Clinton Authorizes $20 Million for Kosova Refugees

Following is the text of the President's memorandum to Secretary of State Albright directing her to notify the appropriate congressional committees to obligate the funds, circulated by the United States Information Service (USIS) in Prishtina in its today's (Thursday) Washington File bulletin: (Begin text) THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (Orlando, Florida) September 9, 1998 Presidential Determination MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE SUBJECT: Determination Pursuant to Section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as Amended Pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2601(c)(1), I hereby determine that it is important to the national interest that up to $20,000,000 be made available from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund to meet the urgent and unexpected needs of refugees, displaced persons, conflict victims, and other persons at risk due to the Kosovo crisis. These funds may be used, as appropriate, to provide contributions to international and nongovernmental organizations.

You are authorized and directed to inform the appropriate committees of the Congress of this determination and the obligation of funds under this authority and to publish it in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON (End text) Meanwhile, a statement by the President Clinton's Press Secretary emphasized that the "responsibility for humanitarian suffering [in Kosova] rests squarely with the Serb authorities."

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been displaced due to Serb attacks on Kosovar Albanian villages", the statement said.

The current U.S. contribution for Kosova is in addition to $11 million in emergency assistance already provided.

[02] President Rugova Receives U.S. Diplomat

The recent developments in Kosova and ways to deescalate the situation were discussed.

The need for an immediate halt to the Serbian offensive and the creation of an appropriate environment for the establishment of negotiations for the resolution of the Kosova issue was discussed, President Rugova's Office reported.

[03] ...German, French, Swedish and Finnish Diplomats

The current situation in Kosova amidst the continued Serb offensive against Albanians and ways to overcome it by political means were discussed in the meetings, Rugova's Office said.

[04] Albanians in Dire Conditions, Serb Regime Organizes Cynical Carnival in De^an Area

Some 10,000 others - women, children and the elderly - spent the night rough in the open in the Strellc mountains. They have been without food and other staples.

Some 4,000 other refugees were heading for the mountains last night in a bid to reach relative safety. Their whereabouts and fate is unknown, sources said.

Meanwhile, Serb police forces started burning Albanian houses in the village of Strellc last night to terrify the refugees and pressurize the villagers to hand in weapons.

Today, Serb forces sent buses to the village of Isniq to get the refugees out.

An LDK activist in the village said Serb forces had brought in lorryloads of relief supplies and medical teams. "This cynical carnival, as elsewhere in the past few days, is duly escorted by the Serb propaganda machinery, whose goal is to portray the Serb occupier humane", the activist said.

In the past several days, the population has been left alone in these villages, with the exception of a few local journalists and LDK activists. They have been calling for a sort of international intervention on behalf of the population at risk from Serb forces, but to no avail.

Serbian forces prevented Wednesday a delegation of Kosova political parties and humanitarian associations from going to visit the area.

Bodies of Killed Albanians Scattered about in Rahovac Villages

PRISHTINA, Sept 10 (KIC) - The bodies of 5 Albanians killed during the recent Serb offensives in south-west Kosova were found scattered in the villages of Rahovec ('Orahovac'), local sources reported.

Activists in the area have identified the five killed Albanians as Isuf Berisha (25) from Polluzha and Mark Sopjani (42) from Dobidol, as well as Him& Krasniqi (58), Ismet Krasniqi (41), and Beqir Krasniqi (80), who were first slain by Serb troops, then dumped in a pond at Postosel village.

The LDK Information Commission in Prizren said that three babies born in the fields in the Rahovec area died in the past few days.

Activists in the area told the Commission that more people are feared to have been killed, who have not been located still.

[05] Identity of Three Other Killed Albanians Learned in Prizren

Around 40 Albanians - men, women and children - were killed during a Serb offensive against the V&rrini area villages in the Prizren municipality since last weekend.

The bodies of thee three men were found in the fields near the village, local sources said.

The LDK chapter in Prizren said the remains of an Albanian, Marjan Domgjoni from Grazhdanik village was brought Wednesday to the town morgue in Prizren. Serb troops brought the body of the killed Albanian, it said.

Meanwhile, sources in Prizren said Serb troops set ablaze yesterday afternoon the homes of Ismail Suka and Rrahman Krasniqi at "Ramiz Sadiku" suburb of the town.

[06] Police Settled in Albanian Houses in Suhareka Municipality

The worsening weather has added to the misery of the displaced people.

Serb police have been settled in Albanian houses in Reshtan, Studen^an and Samadraxh& villages. The people cannot therefore get back to their homes.

In the villages of Semetisht, Peqan and Nishor as many as 90 percent of the houses have been destroyed by Serb forces. Yet, some of the displaced residents who had been camping out in Pagarush& have started streaming back to their home villages, local sources said.

[07] Pregnant Refugee Women in Desperate Need of Medical Assistance

Ragip Zekolli, secretary of the LDK chapter in Suhareka, said the 20 Albanian women who are expected to give birth soon are at risk, as they have been camping out in severe circumstances in make-shift plastic sheeting tents.

Sources in Prizren said today that three babies born in the fields in the Rahovec area have died since last week.

[08] Unidentified Gunmen Abduct Albanian near Prishtina

The local LDK sub-branch in B&rnica said Hetem Kupina, proprietor of a wheat flour mill in the village, was abducted at his place today at 7 a.m. The kidnappers rushed to an unknown direction with a car with Ferizaj (Urosevac) number plates, UR: 433-70, witnesses said.

Pupils of the local school in the village said the two men were wearing dark glasses.

The major Kosovar human rights group, the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF), said on Wednesday that it has registered over 600 Kosovar Albanians missing for weeks or even several months.

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