SERBS BLOCKED ALL ROADS GOING INTO THE VILLAGES

by N.Zejak

Blic, Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia, September 30, 1999

Pristina - Divna Gligorijevic, Svetozar Arsic and Slobodanka Nikolic, were seriously wounded in the bomb attack on the market place in Kosovo Polje. They are in critical condition and have been transferred to the hospital in Nis. (...) UNMiK chief, Bernard Kouchner visited other injured Serbs hospitalized in the Russian hospital and the health center in Kosovo Polje. He met with complete boycott and left Kosovo Polje escorted by strong KFOR forces and followed by shouts and whistles of angry Serbs.

UNMiK spokesperson Daniela Rozgonova stated yesterday that only two persons, rather than four as had been previously claimed, suspected of the bomb attack had been arrested during the night. She said that the two suspects had been later released. KFOR spokesman Ole Irgens stressed that the international forces were very much worried because of the attack in Bresje. The Transition Council of Kosovo also condemned the attack. Representatives of the Serbs did not participate in the meeting of the Council since Bishop Artemije and Momcilo Trajkovic had submitted their resignations a week before.

Two days ago, Serbs from the village of Bresje blocked in protest the road between Pristina and Pec. People of Kuzmin joined them by preventing KFOR to redirect the traffic via Kuzmin. The barricades in Kuzmin and Bresje have completely cut off the Pristina-Pec road.

President of the Temporary Executive Council in Kosovo Zoran Andjelkovic asked the Serbs to remove the barricades. He also requested from the international Police and KFOR to take over the control at the barricades. The Serbs refused this but accepted invitation by Kouchner and Jackson that a 4-member Serb delegation submit their requests to KFOR.

A ten-member delegation of the villagers from Bresje met two days ago with the KFOR commander for the Pristina region, Colonel Qubik, the commanding officer for Kosovo Polje, Major Simon, and the administrator of the Kosovo Polje municipality Ugo Triani.

"It is well known that the bombs on the Serbs in Bresje were fired from the house of the Shalla family. It is also well known that KFOR had been informed 12 hours earlier about preparations for this attack. That is why we do not trust you any more. We believe the terrorists have your support", the Serb delegation told Major Simon.

Serbs demanded that father and son Shalla be immediately arrested, that Albanian and KLA insignia be taken off all buildings and vehicles, that the passage through Kosovo Polje and Laplje Selo not be allowed to people who are not Yugoslav citizens and that all Albanians who have illegally moved into Serb apartments and houses be evicted in three days.

Since yesterday, Serbs from Prepose have also blocked the exit to Kosovo Polje from the Pristina-Skoplje road. Strong KFOR forces tried to persuade the Serbs to withdraw without use of batons and weapons, but were not successful.

Radio-amateurs from Gnjilane yesterday reported that all access roads to Strpce from the directions of Prizren, Urosevac and Tetovo have been blocked and that 100 members of the Danish KFOR battalion are consequently blocked in Strpce. The locals say that the barricades will stay until professors Marko Stojanovic and Paun Zivkovic who two days ago weny from Strpce to a school in Urosevac with KFOR's escort to get some documents, are not released. KFOR members left them alone at the school for about 15 minutes and the professors were gone when they came back.

"We cannot guarantee safe passage through Strpce to a single ethnic Albanian. If the abducted teachers are not released immediately we shall retaliate with abductions of Albanians and even an armed conflict cannot be excluded," radio-amateurs from Gnjilane conveyed the message of 10,500 Serbs from Strpce.

CONFLICTS AT THE KOSOVO POLICE ACADEMY

by Z.V.V.

Blic, Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia, September 30, 1999

Vucitrn - The classes at the Police Academy in Vucitrn began on September 7. It has 175 students. There are only 17 Serbs and 2 Muslims. Among the students, 12% are women (three of them Serbs).

"At the beginning 47 Serbs were admitted. However, majority of them gave up, probably because of fear. The first class should finish its studies by Oct. 18. The Academy has 12 subjects and the professors are from Germany, USA, Denmark... All classes are translated into Serbian and Albanian", says one Serb, who insisted on staying anonymous. According to him, large amount of time is dedicated to physical fitness and shooting practice.

"We are not allowed to carry weapons, except at shooting practice. Even the security is not armed. The food is good. For six weeks of training we shall get 300 German Marks", says this Serb. So far there has been no conflict between Serbs and Albanians, but there were some skirmishes among the Albanians, especially between former KLA members and those who used to work for the Serbian police. Eight Albanians have been expelled from the Academy because of fighting between these groups.

Translated in October 1999