Kosova Daily Report #1478, 98-07-02

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1478
Prishtina, 2 July 1998

CONTENTS

[01] Eight Years of the Kosova Declaration on Independence

[02] President Rugova, LDK Mark July 2nd - Kosova Independence Day

[03] President Rugova Receives U.S. Congress Delegation, OSCE Representatives

[04] Kinkel Speaks of Five-Point Draft for Kosova

[05] Employee of Kosova Government's Office Wounded in Geneva

[06] Serbian Attacks Continue in Border Villages in Gjakova

[07] Serb Forces Resume Attacks against Albanian Settlements around Bardhi Coal Mines

[08] Serb Forces Shell Half a Dozen De^an Villages Overnight

[09] Serb Attack Albanian Positions with Long-Range Cannons

[10] Unknown Whereabouts of Albanian Arrested by Serb Police Tow Weeks Ago

[01] Eight Years of the Kosova Declaration on Independence

The new 'Yugoslavia' (Serbia and Montenegro) is doomed to fail as it purports to include Kosova, the nation which has set about the road of no return: full independence and sovereignty.

The Constitutional Declaration adopted on 2 July 1990 by the majority of the deputies of the Kosova Assembly (Parliament), the highest legislative body of the then autonomous Kosova, was the first legal step which was then followed up by the Constitution of the Republic of Kosova of September 7th 1990, the National Referendum on Independence of September 1991, as well as the national elections of 1992 and 1998, respectively.

The Constitutional Declaration (i.e. Declaration on Independence) proclaiming Kosova an independent and equal federal unit in the then Federal Yugoslavia was an attempt towards an institutional reshaping of the realities in view of the right to self- determination of peoples.

This was not duly appreciated then by the then Yugoslavia, nor indeed the international community.

Four former Yugoslav republics have won full independence, two of them after having fought fierce wars with the Serbian aggressors.

"The Constitutional Declaration 'ipso jure' abrogated the Resolution of the Prizren Assembly of 1945 which forcefully annexed Kosova to 'Federal Serbia, '" the author of the Declaration, the prominent academic Gazmend Zajmi, wrote in 1990.

Eight years later, the Albanian independence movement in Kosova has a military and a political wing. This accounts for both the failure of the international community and Serbia to come to grips with the supreme reality of the will of the people of Kosova, as well as the determination of the people to press ahead with all means in pursuit of the legitimate and legal aspiration of the people to live in dignity, as a free and independent nation.

[02] President Rugova, LDK Mark July 2nd - Kosova Independence Day

The adoption of the Independence Declaration marked an historic moment for the people of Kosova, the President said.

Owing to the huge sacrifices in the past eight years, the people of Kosova have demonstrated they are willing to pay every price in their independence drive, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova said.

"The people of Kosova is facing a sheer aggression by Serbian military and paramilitary police forces in parts of Kosova", the President stressed.

The people of Kosova, its leadership, as well as relevant international factors have been working hard to secure a negotiated and peaceful resolution, Dr. Rugova said, adding that this is the most reasonable solution.

In the meeting today, the LDK Presidency reaffirmed its support for a further institutionalization of the state and political life in Kosova. The party stands for close cooperation, concerted action and tolerance among all the political forces in the country in the road towards implementing the will of the people for independence of Kosova.

[03] President Rugova Receives U.S. Congress Delegation, OSCE Representatives

The head of the delegation, Mr. Garon, said the situation in Kosova and killing of innocent people has caused great concern in the U.S. Congress. The Foreign Affairs Committee's chairman Rep. Benjamin Gilman has despatched this delegation on a fact-finding mission, he said.

President Ibrahim Rugova, highly appreciative of the U.S. Congress's engagement on Kosova, said the Serb military and police operations are aimed at an ethnic cleansing of Albanians.

An international intervention is needed to prevent a massive-scale massacre by Serbian forces against the unprotected people of Kosova, he stressed.

Meanwhile, the President of the Republic of Kosova received Thursday in Prishtina Mr. Kai Aide, Norway's permanent representative to the OSCE, and Jan Braathu, advisor on South- Easter Europe in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry.

The grave situation in Kosova and ways to avert a further escalation of the violence and conflicts through a serious international response were discussed in the meeting.

Urgent action is needed to bring an end to Serbian offensive operations in Kosova and to create the right kind of environment for the resumption of talks between Prishtina and Belgrade, the President stressed.

The Norwegian diplomats expressed the deep concern of their government and indeed the OSCE over the highly dangerous situation in Kosova.

[04] Kinkel Speaks of Five-Point Draft for Kosova

The draft is to be examined by the Contact Group, during the meeting scheduled to take place in Bonn next week, news agencies reported.

In an interview with the "Deutschland Radio", Kinkel noted that the five points of the proposal are the beginning of talks between Belgrade and Prishtina, provided that an immediate cease-fire is achieved (in Kosova), the implementation of the sanctions, imposed by the international community and the UN Security Council, the determination, by the Contact Group, of the basic principles concerning the Kosova autonomy, the formation of an observer mission to Kosova, and the return of refugees to Kosova.

A senior State Department official said Tuesday, 30 June, "there needs to be a robust framework for dialogue with a lot of principles about how this could move forward, sort of guidelines and parameters, and that's one thing the Contact Group will be looking at."

[05] Employee of Kosova Government's Office Wounded in Geneva

Naser Berisha, shot in the stomach, did not receive life- threatening wounds, according to a statement.

Police said they had no further details about the attackers or their motives.

This was an attempt on the life of Xhafer Shatri, the Information Minister of Kosova, according to a report by the Albanian TV Wednesday.

The Center said in a statement that back in 1989 Shatri had been targeted, a grenade being tossed in his apartment.

Serbian secret services were suspected behind this and other assassinations attempts on the lives of Albanian political activists in the diaspora.

[06] Serbian Attacks Continue in Border Villages in Gjakova

The village of Morin& and Smolic& are said to be the scene of this latest fighting.

A convoy of Serb military has been seen heading to Reka e Keqe region, accompanied also by helicopter gunships.

Overnight and today heavy detonations have been reported heard in coming from the area where Serb forces garrisoned at Suka e Biteshit. The villages of Gllogjan, Grama^el, Shaptej, and Baballoq have ben reported targeted from this Serbian position.

After midnight, Serb police and military have been seen moving around the city, visiting Serb families, and distributing weapons to them, local sources said.

[07] Serb Forces Resume Attacks against Albanian Settlements around Bardhi Coal Mines

The area around the open-pit coal mine at Bardh i Madh which fell under the control of the Kosova Liberation Army (U^K) about ten days ago has been a site of heavy fighting over the past three days. Serbian sources have claimed the Serb regime forces have recaptured the mine and the village itself.

Sources in Obiliq and Fush&-Kosova said virtually the entire Albanian population has fled the villages of Bardhi i Madh and Hade and other villages adjacent to the coal mines. Bardhi i Madh was reportedly attacked last evening and night from two Serb positions, Kuzmin and Pomozotin, whereas Hade and Lajthishta from a Yugoslav army base near Gazimestan.

Serb snipers have been reported positioned in most of the key places around the mine, including some Albanian houses in Hade and the local mosque.

There has been still conflicting reports on whose hands Bardhi i Madh village is. Serb forces have surrounded the big village from three sides but they have captured the village and presumably some U^K bases there, sources in the area said. A large number of the Albania population has moved in Prishtina and other safer places, while about 1500 others have reportedly found shelter in villages of the neighboring Drenica region.

[08] Serb Forces Shell Half a Dozen De^an Villages Overnight

Local LDK sources said the intensity of shelling was the highest of all in the villages Carrabreg i Ul&t and Beleg. At least 150 mortars were fired on these two villages since 15:00 in the afternoon yesterday when Serb forces launched the latest attack.

Albanian farmsteads in Carrabreg and Beleg were successively bombarded for three hours. Members of local resistance units put up a strong resistance, sources said.

The LDK chapter in De^an could not find out whether there were casualties, noting only they have learnt there was huge material damage on the buildings.

[09] Serb Attack Albanian Positions with Long-Range Cannons

The LDK branch in Vushtrri said Serb forces in Frash&r ('Svinjare') village fired mortars in the direction of the neighboring Pantina from midnight through 5 a.m. today.

Meanwhile, the Information Commission of the LDK chapter in Kodra e Trimave in Prishtina said Yugoslav army (VJ) forces fired five times from a long- range cannon in the direction of Drenica villages.

[10] Unknown Whereabouts of Albanian Arrested by Serb Police Tow Weeks Ago

The LDK branch in Ferizaj said Jakup Qerimi was arrested on 20 June under the pretext he was involved in scuffles with a Serb security officer. His mother, Remzije Qerimi, told the LDK in Ferizaj that her family has made inquiries with the Serb police stations in Ferizaj and Prishtina and a couple of jails in Kosova, but the Serb authorities have refused to tell if he is being held in custody.

Kosova Information Center

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