Kosova Daily Report #1702, 99-02-24

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1702
Prishtina, 24 February 1999

CONTENTS

[01] Serb Forces Launch Artillery Attack against Five Villages, Northern Kosova, Wednesday Afternoon

[02] Rapid Buildup of Serb Forces in Suhareka, Albainains Reported Maltreated

[03] Serb Army Forces Garrisoned Near Prizren

[04] Police Takes to Prishtina Morgue Body of Albanian Kidnaped Two Days Ago

[05] Three Albanians Abducted in Rahovec by the Same Assailants

[06] Conclusions of the co-chairmen of Rambouillet Conference

[01] Serb Forces Launch Artillery Attack against Five Villages, Northern Kosova, Wednesday Afternoon

Sources in the area said the Albanian settlements are being pounded with artillery and mortar fire from at least two positions, at Tabet e Llapashtic&s and Peran.

Houses in the town of Podujev have been trembling from heavy detonations, witnesses in the town told the KIC.

There has been no immediate word about possible casualties or damage in the today's Serb assault.

[02] Rapid Buildup of Serb Forces in Suhareka, Albainains Reported Maltreated

At around 14:00, Serb police sealed off the whole town of Suhareka, local sources told KIC who described the situation as highly tense in the town and the villages in the vicinity.

The LDK chapter in Suhareka named several Albanians beaten up and maltreated by the Serb police patrols today, including two secondary school students Rifat Gashi Avdi Sallahu.

The LDK could not figure out why there has been the rapid buildup of Serb forces in the area, noting only that the local population has been fearful of possible Serb forces crackdown and massacres.

[03] Serb Army Forces Garrisoned Near Prizren

At around 10:00 CET, Serb soldiers in over a dozen tanks and trucks trailing artillery pieces stopped near the local primary school in Landovica village, causing panic amongst the pupils in the classrooms.

Half an hour later, the Serb forces moved out to be later garrisoned near the "Pojata" motel in Landovic&.

The troop were reported still there in mid-afternoon.

[04] Police Takes to Prishtina Morgue Body of Albanian Kidnaped Two Days Ago

The Leskoci family has been informed by the Serb police that the body of Sadik has been taken to the Prishtina hospital morgue.

The late Albanian was abducted by unidentified persons on Monday evening at around 20:00 hrs. Unconfirmed reports said his dead body was found somewhere between the villages of Prelez and Babush.

[05] Three Albanians Abducted in Rahovec by the Same Assailants

Unidentified persons in Serb police uniforms, got off a "BMW" black car, asked Gani to show them his ID, then forced him in the cars and drive in an unknown direction, the LDK chapter in Rahovec said. His whereabouts remain unknown, it said.

At around 18:30, at the same place at a location caked "Te Rrasat", the same kidnappers in the same car abducted Qerim Izet Rexha (19) an Ilir Abaz Dina (21), both residents of Rahoveci. They were on their way back from a shop, the LDK said, adding that their whereabouts are still unknown.

A fourth Albanian from Rahovec, Ibrahim Abaz Dina was forced yesterday into the car of the came assailants but he managed to jump out before being driven away.

He was beaten up brutally while in the car of assailants unfamiliar to him.

[06] Conclusions of the co-chairmen of Rambouillet Conference

1. Contact Group ministers met in Rambouillet on February 23 at the end of more than two weeks of intensive efforts to reach an agreement on substantial autonomy for Kosova, while respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

2. Ministers noted the historic nature of the Rambouillet Conference, which launched a process on the basis of the principles and basic elements adopted by the Contact Group in London on January 29, bringing together those long divided by deep and bitter differences.

3. These have been complex and difficult negotiations, as we expected. The important efforts of the parties and the unstinting commitment of our negotiators, Ambassadors Hill, Petritsch and Mayorsky, have led to a consensus on substantial autonomy for Kosova, including mechanisms for free and fair elections to democratic institutions, for the governance of Kosova, for the protection of human rights and the rights of members of national communities; and for the establishment of a fair judicial system.

4. A political framework is now in place, as set out in the Rambouillet Accords, and the groundwork has thereby been laid for finalizing the implementation chapters of the agreement, including the modalities of the invited international civilian and military presence in Kosova. It is essential that the agreement on the interim accord be completed and signed as a whole. In this spirit, the parties commmitted themselves to attend a conference, covering all aspects of implementation, in France on 15 March, following consultations with the parties and relevant international organizations. We are determined to monitor closely that this commitment is fully respected, in order to complete the Rambouillet process.

5. The parties must abstain from any action which would undermine the achievements of Rambouillet. In particular, we expect the parties to honor fully and immediately the cease-fire which should be in place throughout Kosova, to abstain from all provocative actions and to abide fully by their commitments of October 1998 and to comply with the relevant Security Council Resolutions. We fully support the mission and personnel of the OSCEžs Kosova Verification Mission, and we insist that the parties provide for the security of KVM and other international personnel, for which they will be held responsible.

6. We pledge ourselves to work together to achieve a settlement meeting the legitimate aspirations of all the people of Kosova. Only such a settlement can create the conditions in which a humanitarian catastrophe can be avoided. Those who prevent the completion of the interim agreement for Kosova, or who provoke further hostilities or who threaten the security of KVM, will be held fully accountable for their actions./end text/

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