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Kosova Daily Report #1997, 99-02-19
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1997
Prishtina, 19 February 1999
CONTENTS
[01] If Faced With Ethnocide Albanians Will Be Forced to Common Self-
defense, Rugova's Aide Says
[02] Llapashtica and Katunishta Villages in Podujeva, Come Under Renewed
Serb Fire Friday
[03] Body of Murdered Man Found in Pestova, Serb Police Cracks Down on
Villagers
[04] Serb Authorities Deliver Combat Equipment to Civilians in Istog
[05] Unidentified Gunmen Wound Albanian Lady in a Prishtina Village
[06] 66 Serb Army Trucks Heading for Kishnica Friday Morning
[01] If Faced With Ethnocide Albanians Will Be Forced to Common Self-
defense, Rugova's Aide Says
PRISHTINA, Feb 19 (KIC) - It is still early to say whether the peace
conference in Rambouillet will result in an interim agreement for Kosova,
the press secretary of the President of the Republic of Kosova Ibrahim
Rugova said on Friday.
The conference, since it outset, has had a problematic course of events,
whereas since Thursday it entered into a new phases with immense pressure
on the participants and unpredicted, in some points utterly unacceptable
turnings, Xhemail Mustafa said.
"Notwithstanding final results, the conference in Rambouillet made the
Kosova issue a serious international preoccupation and showed that the
Albanian questions cannot be settled without a serious international
political and military involvement", he said.
Xhemail Mustafa said the stepped up presence of the Serb forces in Kosovo
and their aggressive attitude against the Albanians ar a rime a peace
conference is underway is another proof that Belgrade has been adamant on
obstructing the Conference itself.
In addition, during the whole course of past week the Albanian settlements,
those in the Llapi region in particular, have been repeatedly attacked by
Serb forces.
Asked what would Albanians do in case the conference in Rambouillet fails
and would Albanians act as one nation, as Albania's Prime Minister Pandeli
Majko said, Xhemail Mustafa said: "In situations of ethnocide against
Albanians the whole Albanian nation will be forced to organize a common
defense and self-defense".
[02] Llapashtica and Katunishta Villages in Podujeva, Come Under Renewed
Serb Fire Friday
PRISHTINA, Feb 19 (KIC) - The villages of Llapashtica and Katunishta, west
of Podujeva, came under renewed Serb forces fire on Friday, local sources
said.
The two villages and a couple of other Albanian settlements in the LLapi
region have been intermittently shelled almost on a daily basis last week.
On Thursday a grande hit a shop in the Obranca village, adjacent to
Podujava, and a house of an Albanian in the town itself was peppered with
machine-gun fire.
Since early in the morning today (Friday), heavy Serb forces left the base
near the airfield in Dumosh village to be positioned in several key
locations in the area holding the outlying villages at gunpoint.
The chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms
(CDHRF) in Podujeva said several houses were burned in the villages west of
Podujava in the Serb shelling over the past days. The CDHRF could not tell
if there were possible casualties or material damage in the today's
attack.
[03] Body of Murdered Man Found in Pestova, Serb Police Cracks Down on
Villagers
PRISHTINA, Feb 19 (KIC) - The Council for the Defense of Human Rights and
Freedoms in Vushtrri ('Vucitern') said today morning that the body of
murdered man was found in the village of Pestova.
By mid-afternoon, the identity of the man who seemed to be in early forties
could not be established still.
Since early in the morning heavy Serb police forces kept the area tightly
sealed off. The OSCE verifiers were seen heading to the village later.
Meanwhile, at around midday, Serb police forces raided on homes of several
Albanians in Pestova village, including that of Refik Ramiqi, head of the
local LDK chapter Nehat Osmani (35), Ruzhdi Ferizi (42), Hasan Selmani (19),
Mumahet Selmani (15) and Mensur Ademi (30), all local residents were
arrested this afternoon. By early evening they were still reported in Serb
police custody.
[04] Serb Authorities Deliver Combat Equipment to Civilians in Istog
PRISHTINA, Feb 19 (KIC) - A so-called Headquarter for territorial defense
in Istog distributed today (Friday) uniforms and combat equipment to Serb
civilians, local sources said.
Hundreds of Serbs were seen entering the premises of the Headquarter today
from 8:00 through 13:00. Serbs citizen in uniforms roamed in the streets of
the town during the whole course today, provoking Albanian citizens.
There has been no word about the reason the Serbs have been mobilized and
were given combat equipment, the LDK chapter in Istog said.
[05] Unidentified Gunmen Wound Albanian Lady in a Prishtina Village
PRISHTINA, Feb 19 (KIC) - Unidentified gunmen opened fire Thursday in the
d6irection of an Albanian farmhouse in Shkabaj ("Orlovic') west of
Prishtina wounding a female member of the family.
Kasdime Shkodra (1935) was his with one bullet and her life condition is
not threatening, the LDK chapter in Obiliq sad.
The incident occurred ar around 13:00 hrs yesterday.
[06] 66 Serb Army Trucks Heading for Kishnica Friday Morning
PRISHTINA, Feb (KIC) - At around 9 a.m. today (Friday), 26 Serb army trucks
were seen heading in the direction of Kishnica Lead mines, south of
Prishtina.
Two hours later, 40 other military trucks were reported moving in the same
direction.
The trucks were trailing cannons of different calibre, while heavy armament,
including rockets, were on board of the trucks, witnesses told the KIC.
Kosova Information Center
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