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Kosova News 1998
Chronicle of the week 29 Nov - 5 Dec

29 November, 1998

Although the KDOM is trying to prevent conflicts between the UCK and the Serb forces, situation is escalating in Klina area. Villages of Gllareve, Zabergje, Cerrovik, Rigjeve and Doberdol are shelled. Returnees are in a desperate situation; they are feared and hungry. Situation of returnees is anyhow dire. According to some sources of information, international organizations do not have food supplies anymore, especially flour. They are short in supplies.

Kijeve region reported that attacks continued today against the villages of Mlecan, Llozice and Belince. Serb forces are using granade launchers, machine guns and other lighter weaponry. No information is reported so far on casualties.

Three Albanians have been kidnapped these past ten days. HAJRIZ MEHMETI (25) from the village of Recak was kidnapped yesterday, FAIK XHEMA (22) from Ferizaj and ZYMER RRUSTEM AGUSHI from the village of Jezerc of the Ferizaj municipality were kidnapped few days ago in Shtimje.

30 November, 1998

Apart from the very active diplomatic activities in Kosova, where many foreign diplomats are paying a work visit in order to see what would be the ways and how to solve the conflict. Serb police is not stopping from its attitude. During the National Day of Albanians, actually during the festivities of this day and the day against Fascism in Kosova, police harassed many Albanians. Huge Serb forces presence is actual, they continue its campaign of violence although at a low level. Police ill-treated the taxi driver SADIK IBRAJ at Vitomirice village of Peje on obscure charges that he was carrying "terrorists"; while beating him up, he recognized the policeman ZVONKO LABOVIC from Peje. XHELAL ISMAILI from Pasome village of Vushtrri was beaten up severely; electric truncheons were used against him. Police stopped ABDULLAH SOFTOLLI from the village of Lladrovc of the Podujeve municipality and robbed him of 1,500 DM, together with gold he was carrying worth 1,000 DM; he was robbed in Prishtine. Abdullah is a proprietor of a jewelry shop in Podujeve.

1 December, 1998

Adem Demaci, the Political Representative of UCK denied today in the strongest terms allegations that foreign fighters have joined the UCK ranks. He said "We have enough fighters, we even have not got enough weapons for the number of people wishing to join us and willing to die for Kosova." Demaci also gave the statement about the Christopher Hill's, US Ambassador, plan for an interim solution for Kosova, that the plan should undergo essential emendations for it to become acceptable.

SARANDE ARIF THACI (9F) received grave body injuries when she was run down by a VJ army vehicle in the Piskota quarter of Gjakove. She died out of wounds in Prishtina hospital.

XHEMAJL BYTYCI (43) committed suicide by hanging in Shtimje town. Xhemajl, from Recak village of Shtimje, has been repeatedly tortured by police in November. His farmhouse had been burnt on 18 November. In his written statement to CDHRF he claims he had been detained a number of times by police in Ferizaj town, on which occasion he had been tortured on charges of having assisted the UCK with flour and tobacco. Electric truncheons had been used against him. On 23 November police threatened him with liquidation of his family, so in the grave psychological status he committed suicide.

2 December, 1998

Vushtrri village of Brusnik was full of police forces equipped with 3 APCs and one landrover. The movement of the inhabitants is limited, especially of those travelling to the villages of Drenica. Police forces in huge numbers are present also in the villages of Terllabuq and Kolle, causing panic in the local population.

Obiliq villages of Grabovc i Ulet, Grabovc i Eperm and Shipitulle have been fired today. Villages of Sferke, Volljake, Dush, Cupeve, Shtupel and Gllareve of Klina municipality are being held on a grip, as the Serb forces movements are being stepped up. ILIR BERISHA and AVNI BERISHA, brothers from Gjurgjevik i Madh village of Kline were arrested allegedly being accused for being in connection with illegal arms possessions; while Ilir was released, Avni is still being held on custody. BEQIR GASHI from Cabiq village of Kline, arrested on 3 August, is not known where he is anymore; his family says he was taken to the police station that day, but they have not been able to track his fate ever since.

ALI S. MUHARREMI (65) and his wife FANE MUHARREMI (62), killed several months ago by Serb forces, were buried in their village of Runik of Skenderaj today; they have been considered as missing. At least 1,800 people are being considered as missing in Kosova.

Decan, the second Vukovar, has completed a comprehensive report on the consequences of the Serb offensive. The report says 169 Albanians were killed, 776 houses were shelled and 3,176 houses were burnt; 2,350 accessory buildings have been burnt and destroyed; 47 public buildings and community centers are destroyed too.

3 December, 1998

Three Albanians were shot down in Prishtine. HYZRI TALLA (1963) an UCK officer from Podujeve, AFRIM MALIQI (1965) journalist with Bujku journal and ILIR DURMISHI (1967) university student in Prishtine were assassinated by unknown persons who opened fire on their Renault 19 car from the two sides of the road. TEFTA ISUFAJ (F) was wounded as she was standing by the road. Serb police says in the statement shortly that people who shot the three are unknown, on the other hand, Albanian side calls it a well planned assassination. Bujku journal, while distinguishing the values of the journalist Afrim Maliqi, stated that "Albanians are being killed in the mountains, in fronts, on the streets, in the cities" and life has gone cheep in Kosova.

Meanwhile, Serb Media Center informed that 8 Albanians were killed near the border zone with Albania.

4 December, 1998

Situation is becoming more and more tragic. At least one Albanian killed and four others wounded in the shoot-out incident in Peja hospital. Machine gun fire was heard inside the hospital. Since the beginning of this year, a huge number of police has been staying inside this hospital day and night. Information is so vague, nothing comes out.

The 8 Albanians killed at the border with Albania are: MUHAMET MALESORI, HYSNI DURAKU, ISAK ADEM HOTI, ISMET DAUT HOTI, SEDAT AZIZ HOTI, HYDA ISA HOTI, SINAN ANAZ HOTI (all from Krusha e Madhe of Rahovec), and SKENDER HAMELI from Mazrrek village of Hasi region in the municipality of Prizren.

In less than 48 hours, 12 Albanians have been killed. The thirteenth is NEXHMEDIN BEDRA (46) from Gjakove, who was killed on Wednesday afternoon at Dollc village while heading to Gjakove from Prishtine. These killings are blamed on Serb security.

Shooting is reported during the night in Lipjan area. In Obiliq villages situation is very grave. Military forces are concentrated in Hani i Elezit area, bordering with Macedonia.

MEVLUDE SARAQI, LDK activist and MP is released today. She was held in detention for 6 months.

5 December, 1998

Dushkaje villages of Gjakove were targeted by fire. Shooting started this afternoon on the villages of Kralan, Kpuz and Ceskove. The sound of the shooting could even be heard in as far as the villages of Ponorc, Rub, Llapceve and Sferke e Gashit of the municipality of Malisheve.

Arms shooting and tensions are reported in Rahovec. Meanwhile, police arrested AGIM KASTRATI (37) schoolteacher from Malesia e Vogel, who was on his way back from Vranje (Serbia), where he had gone to pay a visit to his brother, imprisoned there. He was arrested at a location between the villages of Xerxe and Gexhe. SEDAT ALI GASHI from Opterushe village, working temporarily in Austria was arrested several days ago while crossing the border on his way back home. Police arrested LDK activists REXHEP KRELANI, chairman in Obiliq, HAJRIZ BEKTESHI, IDRIZ KONJUSHA, HAJREDIN MJEKU and HASAN S. MJEKU. They were released two hours later after being interrogated.

Today we learn the name of the victim in Peje. MYRVETE MAKSUTAJ (20F) from Istog was shot dead in the hospital of Peje. The couple XHEVAT and SHEMSIJE QARRI from Peje are wounded. Mr. Qarri stated that "At the time I was in the hospital to get my daughter in law out of the delivery ward, suddenly I saw I was shot on my right leg and my wife on her left leg. SHABAN BRAHIMAJ and JETON MULAJ are wounded too at the incident. Other details are not offered, but the one that the security people opened fire toward the running man and woman, killing the latter (Myrvete Maksutaj); the man with her ran away, says the Serb press.

Reported by,

Sevdie Ahmeti
Ruud van de Plassche en Tineke van der Brug
Sophiaweg 133
6564 AB Heilig Landstichting
Nederland
tel/fax: (+31) (0)24-3240265

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