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Kosova Daily Report #1599, 98-10-31
Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1599
Prishtina, 31 October 1998
CONTENTS
[01] President Rugova Receives OSCE Delegation
[02] Presidency of Kosova Parliament Meets with Adem Dema^i
[03] U^K Arrests Local LDK Leaders in Malisheva
[04] Bodies of Three Women Found Together with Animal Carcasses in Llausha
[05] Serb Police Burns Schoolhouse in Shipitulla, Obiliq
[06] Serb Forces Resume Manning Scores of Outposts in Malisheva and
Ka^anik
[07] Serb Court in Prizren Extends Detention to 120 Albanians
[08] Two Albanians Convicted on Terrorism-Related Charges in Peja
[01] President Rugova Receives OSCE Delegation
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova Dr
Ibrahim Rugova received a delegation of the OSCE Kosova Verification
Mission, headed by General Bjorn Nygaard, Acting Head of Mission, Chief of
Staff. Participating in the delegation were also Leif Windmar,
Administration Director, Kare Eltervag, Political Adviser, and Mans Nyberg,
Press Officer.
The OSCE delegation briefed President Rugova on the work on the
establishment of the Kosova Verification Mission.
The current developments in Kosova as well as ways to overcome the
difficult situation in many parts of the country were discussed.
The situation is grave as a result of the Serbian military and police
offensives against the people of Kosova this year, the President said. He
stressed the importance of the international community's presence here to
alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe and create the necessary environment
for a negotiated and political solution to the Kosova issue.
President Ibrahim Rugova assured the OSCE delegation on the readiness of
the Kosovar institutions to closely work with the OSCE Mission.
[02] Presidency of Kosova Parliament Meets with Adem Dema^i
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - The Presidency of the Parliament of the Republic
of Kosova - Idriz Ajeti, President, Iliaz Kurteshi, Gjergj Dedaj and Zef
Morina, Vice-Presidents, and Fatmir Sejdiu, Secretary General - had a
working meeting today (Saturday) in Prishtina with Adem Dema^i, the General
Political Representative of the U^K (Kosova Liberation Army), the
Parliament's press office said.
The current situation in Kosova and efforts to overcome it were discussed
in the meeting, focussing on the need for a closer cooperation of "the
political and military factors in Kosova", a press release said.
In the meeting, "intensification of common activities to further build the
state institutions of the Republic of Kosova, acceptable to all" was
discussed, especially the building of "institutions of executive power, in
which all relevant political forces would be represented, in the function
of the liberation struggle to implement the will of the people of Kosova
for independence, expressed in the 1991 Referendum", the press release of
the Parliament of the Republic concluded.
Meanwhile, Adem Dema^i's office said the U^K political representative met
today with Fehmi Agani, chief Kosova negotiator.
Views were exchanged on concerted activities to further the activities of
both parties, as well as unification of the political spectrum in Kosova
aimed at the "creation of institutions, organs and genuine executive
mechanisms" in the struggle for independence of Kosova, Dema^i's Office
said.
[03] U^K Arrests Local LDK Leaders in Malisheva
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - On Friday, members of the U^K (Kosova Liberation
Army) arrested Jakup Kastrati, chairman of the LDK chapter in Malisheva,
and Cen Desku, member of the LDK chapter leadership there, LDK sources in
Malisheva reported.
The KIC has learned that the Presidency of the LDK in Prishtina contacted
today Adem Dema^i, the main political representative of the U^K. The party
leadership urged him to secure an early release of the local LDK leaders in
Malisheva.
Meanwhile, the LDK chapter in Malisheva has called that the motive for the
arrest of Kastrati and Desku be made known, and that the be immediately
released.
[04] Bodies of Three Women Found Together with Animal Carcasses in Llausha
Charred body of local Albanian found in Lubeniq, Peja
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - The bodies of three women, slain in summer when
Serb offensives were unfolding in Drenica region, were found today
(Saturday) in Llausha village in Skenderaj ('Srbica').
The Skenderaj chapter of the Prishtina-based Council for the Defense of
Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) identified the three victims as Fatime
Geci (73) and Mevlude Geci (45), residents of Llausha, and Hamide Taraku
(51), mother of eight children from Vitak. Fatime Geci and Mevlude Geci
were both disabled women and could not run away when Serb troops advanced
into the village. The third woman, Hamide Taraku, had come earlier this
year to the village to seek shelter with her relatives.
The decomposed bodies of the three women were found in a hole covered with
soil and mixed with animal carcasses, the human rights Councils said.
Peja: The LDK chapter in Peja said that the charred body of Mehmet Ukshinaj
(70) was found yesterday not far from his house in Lubeniq village.
Qerim Ukshinaj told the LDK chapter in Peja that his brother Mehmet was
executed by Serbs four months ago, but no one dared return to the village
ever since and bury him because of the continued Serb presence in the
area.
Albanian refugees returning to their villages in the war-torn area have
been finding mutilated and decomposed bodies of their relatives killed
during Serb offensives earlier this year. It is suspected that hundreds of
Albanians who had gone missing for months lay in fact killed in the
villages and fields.
[05] Serb Police Burns Schoolhouse in Shipitulla, Obiliq
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - Serb forces set afire Friday evening the local
school building in Shipitulla village of Obiliq, 19 km north- west of
Prishtina. Serbs also burned down the house of a local villager, Daut R.
Mjekiqi, sources in Obiliq said.
Local chapters of both LDK and the Council for the Defense of Human Rights
and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Obiliq confirmed today that for the third straight
night yesterday Serb forces opened fire in the direction of Albanian
villages from seven locations in the area.
The villages of Graboc i Ep&rm, Shipitull& and Sibovc were targeted in
particular.
Witnesses said that after the Serbs set ablaze the schoolhouse in
Shipitulla at around 19:30, there was an exchange of fire between the Serb
forces and a local U^K unit. There has been no word on casualties on either
side.
Serb troops are still manning several checkpoints and outposts in Obiliq
municipality, including at "K&rshat e Grabocit", around the open-pit coal
mines in Bella^evc, near the villages of Janovod& and Plemetin, as well as
around the "Kosova A" and "Kosova B" power plants. In the village of
Grabovc i Ul&t, Serb forces usually retreat into the house of a local
Albanian, Rexhep Berisha, whenever foreign reporters or observers drive by
in the area, the LDK and CDHRF said.
[06] Serb Forces Resume Manning Scores of Outposts in Malisheva and
Ka^anik
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - Serb forces have been manning many outposts in
Malisheva, which did not exist before the Serb crackdown in Kosova last
spring, the head of the LDK Information Commission in Malisheva said
today.
Besides the town of Malisheva, where there is a huge presence of Serb
forces and heavy armament, Serb policemen have been manning checkpoints and
bases in Carralluka, Smolica, near T&rpeza, Kijeva, Mle^an and Llazic&.
Fresh Serb troops have been deployed in some of these bases over the past
days, Isuf Bytyqi said. he added that the Serbs have been preventing the
uprooted local population from returning to their homes.
The LDK chapter in Ka^anik, a town in southern Kosova, said Serb police and
army forces are still in many places near the Albanian villages in the
area. Serb troops backed by heavy armament were still dug in today in
several places in the area, including near the village of Bajnica, at a
location called Podi i Buganjave, in the halls of Silkapor factory. Serbs
have camouflaged large arsenals of armament in the region, the LDK said.
[07] Serb Court in Prizren Extends Detention to 120 Albanians
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - The Serb-run District Court in Prizren ruled on
Thursday to extended pre-trial detention to 120 Albanians to additional 60
days.
The Albanians rounded up by Serb forces over the past months have been
facing Serb regime charges for alleged "hostile activity" and "terrorism",
the chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms
(CDHRF) in Prizren said.
The detainees are by and large residents of Suhareka villages, Vraniq,
Savrova, Mohlan, Ma^iteva, Bukosh.
Hundreds of Kosovar Albanians have been held in Serb custody facing
terrorism-related charges.
Serb court authorities in the town of Peja have instituted criminal
investigations and proceedings against over 1,100 Albanians so far,
according to Serb media and human rights groups.
[08] Two Albanians Convicted on Terrorism-Related Charges in Peja
PRISHTINA, Oct 31 (KIC) - The Serb-run Court in Peja sentenced Friday two
Albanians under charges of involvement in hostile activity.
Haki Mahmutgjekaj (1963), resident of Strellc village in De^an, was
sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison, and Fehmi Kukiqi (1956) from T&rstenik
village in Gllogovc, to 2 years.
The two Albanians, arrested by Serb police a couple of months ago, were
taken immediately to serve their prison, LDK sources in Peja said.
Kosova Information Center
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