Kosova Daily Report #1618, 98-11-21

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1618
Prishtina, 21 November 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives French and Norwegian Ambassadors

[02] Serb Forces Crack Down on Albanians in the Wake of Unsolved Shoot- out Incident near De^an

[03] Serb Forces Fire Onto Albanian Communities of Klina on Friday and Saturday

[04] Serb Forces Boosted in Suhareka Area Intimidate Local Population

[05] Unidentified Burglars Demolish Schoolhouse in Obiliq

[01] President Rugova Receives French and Norwegian Ambassadors

In the meeting with Ambassador Huntzinger, the special envoy for Kosova of the French Foreign Minister Huberat Vedrine, President Rugova warned that the situation in Kosova has continued to be grave and dangerous amidst a huge and growing presence of Serbian military and police forces. A speedy deployment of OSCE and NATO verification missions may calm the tensions and create an appropriate climate to pursue a political process for a negotiated settlement of the Kosova issue, he said.

The President emphasized that independence for Kosova is the best solution for the country, but also a stabilizing factor for the entire region of south-east Europe.

The negotiations between Prishtina and Belgrade should be well prepared, Rugova said.

Meanwhile, President Ibrahim Rugova received yesterday (Friday) the Ambassador of Norway in Belgrade, Mr. Jon Gaardner, who was visiting Kosova in the capacity of a senior NATO representative.

The situation in Kosova is grave as a consequence of this year's Serb military aggression, Rugova said, adding that huge Serb forces continue to be present all around, making it hard for displaced people to return to their homes and start rebuilding their lives in safety.

The Norwegian Ambassador delivered President Rugova a message of the North Atlantic Council expressing concern over the deteriorating situation in Kosova.

[02] Serb Forces Crack Down on Albanians in the Wake of Unsolved Shoot- out Incident near De^an

The Serb media reported that two Serb police officers were killed and four others were wounded on Friday morning near Prejlep village when a police vehicle came under fire by unknown attackers.

The LDK chapter in De^an said that in the wake of the incident Serb police cracked down on the three houses of the Latifaj extended family in Prejlep, brutally maltreating family members.

Azem Latifaj, Hazir Latifaj, both elderly men, and Musli Latifaj (50), were initially beaten up in front of their families. The three men were arrested subsequently.

Several female members of the Latifaj family, including Zade, Gale Ajmane and Zylfie, as well as two little girls Shqipe and Gentiana were beaten by the police.

The three detained Albanians were released in the evening hours on Friday with the intervention of the OSCE verifiers, the LDK said.

They suffered severe body injuries from the beating, it added.

[03] Serb Forces Fire Onto Albanian Communities of Klina on Friday and Saturday

The Malisheva LDK Information Commission said the villages of Sferka e Gashit, Panorc, Rud and Llap^eva came under intermittent fire until late in the evening hours on Friday.

The head of the Commission told the KIC that the Serb forces garrisoned near Voljaka opened fire towards these villages today morning, at around 11, as well.

[04] Serb Forces Boosted in Suhareka Area Intimidate Local Population

Fresh Serb police force have been deployed in the area on the daily basis and rolling checkpoint have been proliferating, it noted.

At Reshtan village the Serb forces have been garrisoned in the farmhouse of a local Albanian Rrahman Morina, at Grej^ec village in the house of Alush Lubovci, and Mohlan the Serb forces have been posted in the local clinic, the source said.

Heavily armed Serb police units have been roaming regularly on the streets of the villages in the area, including in Sopija, Savrova, Bukosh, Vraniq, Popolan, Mushtisht, Grejkoc, Gjinoc, Studen^an, Reshtan, Samadraxha, Duh&la, Bllaca, Bellanica.

Serb forces manning the roadblocks have been maltreating and intimidating the local population a well as the IDPs returning to their homes, the LDK said.

[05] Unidentified Burglars Demolish Schoolhouse in Obiliq

The LDK chapter in Obiliq, a town 8 km north-west of Prishtina, said the intruders deliberately destroyed the school library, students record books, and other inventory in the classrooms and offices.

Kosova Information Center

Kosovo Information Center: Kosova Daily Report Directory - Previous Article - Next Article