Kosova Daily Report #1669, 99-01-20
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1669
Prishtina, 20 January 1999
CONTENTS
[01] President Rugova Receives Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs
[02] Serbian Forces Open Machine-Gun and Artillery Fire on Llapashtic&
Village
[03] Serbian Forces Crack down on Mitrovica Neighborhood and Nearby
Villages
[04] LAST REPORT: Serbian Forces Shell Mitrovica Neighborhood, Villages
[05] Decapitated Albanian Found in Rahovec Village
[06] Body of Killed Person Lying on Prishtina-Peja Roadside
[07] TEXT: U.N. Security Council Statement on Kosova
[01] President Rugova Receives Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova, Ibrahim
Rugova, received Tuesday evening the Undersecretary in the Italian Foreign
Ministry, Mr. Umberto Ranieri, and his aides.
Attending the meeting was also Italian ambassador to Belgrade, Mr. Ricardo
Sessa.
The very grave and dangerous situation in Kosova, and the possibilities to
de-escalate it by creating an environment conducive to negotiations towards
a political resolution of the Kosova issue were discussed in the meeting.
The Italian Undersecretary for foreign affairs, Umberto Ranieri, conveyed
his government's indignation over, and condemnation of the massacre in
Re^ak, where at least 45 Albanian civilians were slain by Serbian forces
last Friday.
President Rugova said the Re^ak massacre has come on top of an already
grave and volatile situation in Kosova. "The massacre of scores of
Albanians is additional proof that the people of Kosova needs urgent
international protection", Rugova said, pressing Italy to work with other
Western allies for a comprehensive intervention in Kosova so as to prevent
further tragic developments here and wider in the region. Such an
intervention would create the preconditions for a political resolution in
Kosova, the President said.
Regarding the OSCE Kosova Verification Mission (KVM), President Ibrahim
Rugova said the people of Kosova has welcomed it in the hope that it will
calm the situation, and highly appreciated the work of Ambassador William
Walker, the KVM head. "Belgrade's decision to declare Walker a persona non
grata is unacceptable", the Kosova President said. "Kosova is an
international problem, and Belgrade cannot impose its own policies on
Kosova", he added.
During their meeting in Prishtina, President Rugova and Undersecretary
Ranieri discussed also about the prospects to intensify the political
process in pursuit of a settlement in Kosova.
[02] Serbian Forces Open Machine-Gun and Artillery Fire on Llapashtic&
Village
Reportedly, one Albanian was wounded in this northern Kosovar village
today
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - For half an hour today (Wednesday) afternoon,
Serbian military forces stationed at 'Tabet e Llapashtic&s' opened today
machine-gun and artillery fire in the direction of the village of
Llapashtic&, southwest of the town of Podujeva, 30 km north of Podujeva,
local LDK sources said.
The sound of shelling was heard around 15:00 hrs in the town of Podujeva
itself, they added.
An eye-witness told the LDK chapter in Podujeva an Albanian had been
wounded in the village of Llapashtic&. No other details were provided.
Early in the morning today, four Serb army tanks and two APCs left the
Dumosh airstrip and were stationed at the entry to the roadway leading to
the village of Bellopoj&, near the house of Isak Sfar^a, local sources
said. Three more tanks were deployed in the woods near Bellopoj&. The
Albanian population of the area fled their homes in fear of Serb army
operations.
A huge Serb police presence, including snipers, has been reported today in
Podujeva, a 99 percent Albanian-inhabited town.
Since the Christmas Serbian offensive against a number of Albanian villages
in the Podujeva area - when 18 Albanians, most of whom noncombatants, were
killed - heavy Serbian military and paramilitary police forces and tanks
and other combat equipment have been massed in the Llapi region, in clear
violation of the October 1998 cease-fire agreements.
[03] Serbian Forces Crack down on Mitrovica Neighborhood and Nearby
Villages
Heavy artillery fire reported also. As many as 14,000 Albanians displaced
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian military and paramilitary police
forces besieged today (Wednesday) morning the Ura e Gjakut neighborhood of
the town of Mitrovica, and the Shipol and Vaganic& e Poshtme villages near
the town, less than 40 km northwest of Prishtina.
Shooting from arms started at Vaganic& village at 9 a.m., whereas two hours
later two Albanians were wounded, LDK sources said. A third was reported
wounded later.
Automatic weapons and artillery fire was reported in the three settlements
before noon, and continuing in the afternoon today.
Scores of Albanian houses were reported raided by Serbian forces today,
some 40 in Ura e Gjakut alone today. Many Albanians have been reported
arrested. Serb police raided 83 Albanians in this neighborhood yesterday,
arrested 25 Albanians, and looted many houses, local sources said.
In the last three days, thousands of Albanians fled their homes in Ura e
Gjakut, Shipol and Vaganic& villages and sought refuge in other parts of
the town of Mitrovica and outlying villages.
As many as 14,000 Albanians have been displaced by this latest Serb
crackdown in Mitrovica area, Halit Berani, a local human rights activist
told the KIC today afternoon.
[04] LAST REPORT: Serbian Forces Shell Mitrovica Neighborhood, Villages
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - Heavy Serbian military and paramilitary police
forces have sealed off and been shelling the Ura e Gjakut neighborhood, the
Shipol and Vaganic& villages in the outskirts of the town of Mitrovica,
since 14:00 hrs today (Wednesday), local sources said.
Serbian forces have been firing machine-gun and artillery fire against
these Albanian settlements from the waterworks in Shipol and the upland of
Bair neihgbourhood, where Serb military depots are situated.
Latest reports said three Albanians have been wounded so far, one of them
being Avdyl Muzliukaj (65), resident of Shipol.
The casualty toll is feared to be higher.
The KIC was told by a local source in Mitrovica at 15:30 hrs the sound of
shelling and machine-gun fire could be heard in the town center of
Mitrovica.
At around 14.00 hrs, Serb armoured vehicles trailing heavy guns left the
Mitrovica garrison heading for Vaganic&, Pir^ and Verrnic& villages.
Today was the beginning of the spring term in Albanian-run elementary and
secondary schools in Kosova.
Resumption of classes in two elementary and four secondary schools in
Mitrovica has been postponed till Monday amidst the Serbian crackdown in
the area.
[05] Decapitated Albanian Found in Rahovec Village
Remains of old Albanian missing for six months found in Malisheva village
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - The mutilated body of Vehbi Byty^i, 42, was found
today in the courtyard of his home at Denj& village of the municipality of
Rahovec ('Orahovac'), the Prishtina-based Council for the Defense of Human
Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) reported. The Albanian had his head cut off and
his lungs pulled out, the CDHRF added.
The late Vehbi, an unarmed civilian, is presumed to have been killed on
Monday, 18 January, by yet unknown persons and in still unsolved
circumstances.
Meanwhile, the skeleton body of Vesel Gashi, 70, was found in his native
Balinc& village of Malisheva yesterday.
The old Albanian man had been missing since late July 1998, when Serbian
military and police forces mounted an offensive in the Malisheva area, in
central Kosova.
[06] Body of Killed Person Lying on Prishtina-Peja Roadside
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - The body of a killed person, around 30 years of
age, was lying by the roadside on the Prishtina-Peja highway, just up the
place where the turn for Malisheva is, an eye- witness told the KIC today
afternoon.
Serbian forces are deployed on both sides of the highway in the area where
the killed person was lying, the source said, adding the man might have
been shot dead in mid-afternoon today.
[07] TEXT: U.N. Security Council Statement on Kosova
PRISHTINA, Jan 20 (KIC) - Following is the text of the U.N. Security
Council statement on the massacre of 45 Albanian civilians Kosova. It was
read by Council President Celso Amorim of Brazil at a formal meeting late
on Tuesday after agreement by all 15 members, Reuters reported.
(Begin text) "The Security Council strongly condemns the massacres of
Kosovo Albanians in the village of Racak in southern Kosovo, Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, on 15 January 1999, as reported by the Organisation
for Security and cooperation is Europe (OSCE) Kosovo Verification Mission
(KVM).
"It notes with deep concern that the report of the KVM states that the
victims were civilians, including women and at least one child. The Council
also takes note of the statement by the head of the KVM that the
responsibility for the massacre lay with Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
security forces, and that uniformed members of both the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia armed forces and Serbian special police had been involved.
"The council emphasises the need for an urgent and full investigation of
the facts and urgently calls upon the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to
work with the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and KVM to
ensure that those responsible are brought to justice," the statement said.
"The Security Council deplores the decision by the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia to refuse access to the prosecutor of the International Tribunal
and calls upon the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to cooperate fully with
the International Tribunal in carrying out an investigation in Kosovo, in
line with the call for cooperation with the International tribunal in its
resolutions 1160 (1998) of March 31, 1998, 1199 (1998) of September 23,
1998 and 1203 (1998) and October 24, 1998.
"The Security Council notes that, against clear KVM advice, Serb forces
returned to Racak on 17 January 1999 and that fighting broke out.
"The Security Council considers that the events in Racak constitute the
latest in a series of threats to the efforts to settle this conflict
through negotiation and peaceful means.
"The Security Council condemns the shooting of personnel of the KVM on
January 15, 1999 and all actions endangering KVM and international
personnel. It reaffirms its full commitment to the safety and security of
the KVM personnel. It reiterates its demands that the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Albanians cooperate fully with the KVM.
"The Security Council calls upon the parties to cease immediately all acts
of violence and to engage in talks on a lasting settlement.
"The Security Council also strongly warns the 'Kosovo Liberation Army'
against actions which are contributing to tensions.
"The Security Council considers all of these events to be violations of its
resolutions and of relevant agreements and commitments calling for
restraint.
"It calls upon all parties to respect fully their commitments under the
relevant resolutions and affirms once again its full support for
international efforts to facilitate a peaceful settlement on the basis of
equality for all citizens and ethnic communities in Kosovo. The council
reaffirms its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
"The Security Council takes note with concern of the report of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that five and a half thousand
civilians fled the Racak area following the massacre, showing how rapidly a
humanitarian crisis could again develop if steps are not taken by the
parties to reduce tensions.
"The Security Council will remain actively seized of the matter."
(End text)
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