Kosova Daily Report #1624, 98-11-30

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

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1624
Prishtina, 30 November 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Receives Head of OSCE Verification Mission in Kosova

[02] 'Up and Operational' in the Next Few Weeks, Head of Kosova Verification Mission Says

[03] Albanian Flag Day Festivities, Serb Police Harasses Albanians over Weekend in Kosova

[01] President Rugova Receives Head of OSCE Verification Mission in Kosova

Ambassador Walker briefed President Rugova on the pace of the arrival of verifiers and their work in Kosova so far.

The President said he highly appreciated the putting in place of the OSCE and NATO verification regimes in Kosova. Their becoming up and operational as soon as possible would have a positive impact on the situation in Kosova, the creation of a climate of security for a safe return of displaced people to their homes, and the alleviation of the grave humanitarian crisis, Rugova said.

The people of Kosova and its leadership have welcomed the Kosova Verification Mission and will closely cooperate with it, President Ibrahim Rugova said.

The full implementation of the international demands regarding the situation in Kosova would contribute to de-escalating it and creating the necessary climate for a political process between Prishtina and Belgrade in pursuit of a solution to the Kosova issue, Rugova underlined.

In the meeting, Rugova and Walker discussed about the work, led by Ambassador Chris Hill, towards the achievement of an interim accord for Kosova.

[02] 'Up and Operational' in the Next Few Weeks, Head of Kosova Verification Mission Says

He and his teams of deputies had an "introductory chat" with Dr. Rugova, Walker said, adding that "we decided that we are going to work very, very closely together, to see that the mission of KVM is successful".

We are certainly hoping that within the next two months, that we will achieve just exactly what he (Rugova) wants to achieve and we want to achieve - which is a peaceful, normal life for all the people who live in Kosovo", Ambassador Walker concluded his remarks about the "very, very productive meeting" he and his team had with the Kosova leader.

"We've already started, we are very tied in with KDOM (Kosova Diplomatic Observer Mission", the KVM head said. KDOM is out there, trying to verify what is happening in the cities and in the countryside, he added.

I reply to a question regarding the completion of the OSCE KVM, Walker said "we will be totally completely on the ground, I would guess around the first of the year, into January sometime".

Bringing 2,000 people here from 54 countries "is not an easy function, but we are doing the best we can", he stressed. "I think we will be up and operational in a very robust fashion in the next few weeks".

Asked about when the conditions for elections in Kosova will be created, Ambassador William Walker said it "will mostly depend on what happens on the political front, with Ambassador Hill and his team talking to all sides here and trying to come to a political agreement".

Once that's in place, "we would have nine months in which to hold elections, to supervise those elections. We are very anxious to do that", Walker said, introducing his deputy, who is going to be in charge of elections for KVM. "He is ready to go. He is absolutely ready to go. We need a political settlement to tell us what sort of elections to supervise", the OSCE Mission's head concluded.

[03] Albanian Flag Day Festivities, Serb Police Harasses Albanians over Weekend in Kosova

Today's newspapers in Prishtina carry articles and photos from a manifestation in the village of Prekaz, in Drenica region, in which the U^K marked the Flag Day, but also the first anniversary of their showing up publicly. The speakers in Prekaz, the home of Adem Jashari, the U^K commander who was killed on 5 March 1998, spoke of their determination to press ahead with the liberation struggle and independence bid for Kosova.

Meanwhile, the KIC has received no reports of big clashes in Kosova over the weekend.

The Serbian forces, who maintain a huge presence in Kosova, have continued a low level campaign of violence and harassment of Albanians who have been trying to rebuild their shattered lives in the wake of this year's Serbian aggression which has left almost 2,000 Albanians killed, many more wounded, around 1,000 missing, and entire towns and villages in rubble in western and central Kosova.

On 28 November, the Serb police illtreated Albanian taxi driver Sadik Ibraj at Vitomiric& village on obscure charges that he was carrying 'terrorists'. One of the policeman beating him up was named as Zvonko Labovic, resident of Peja.

On Saturday, Serb police abducted Hajriz Mehmeti (25), resident of Re^ak village of Shtime, the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) said. A few days earlier two Albanians were reported abducted by police also - Faik Xhema (22) from Shtime and Zymer R. Agushi, resident of Jezerc village of Ferizaj.

Meanwhile, the CDHRF denied foreign news agencies' reports of Saturday that the U^K units and the Serb police had clashed in the village of Petrov&, Shtime municipality.

The KIC has received reports of Serb police movements and harassment of Albanians in the municipality of Vushtrri. Xhelal Ismaili, resident of Pasoma village, was beaten up severely today (Monday). Electric truncheons were used against him, local sources said.

Likewise today (Monday), the Serbian police stopped and robbed Abdullah Softolli of DM 1,500 and gold worth DM 1,000.

Softolli, resident of Lladovc village of Podujeva, proprietor of shop a jewelry shop in Podujeva, was robbed in Prishtina, capital of Kosova.

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