Trajkovic and Raska-Prizren bishop Artemije visited Strpce where they talked to the inhabitants of Sirinicka Zupa. They stated that "Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have no other choice than to stay and defend their homes".
Today, Sirinicka Zupa, otherwise famous because of the ski center Brezovica, has about 11,000 inhabitants. The living conditions are very difficult. Access to this Serb enclave is very difficult without KFOR escort because, as the locals say, they are surrounded on all sides by Albanian extremists.
This region has been without electricity for more than 20 days, and the phone links were cut when the bombardment started. Besides locals, currently about 1,000 people who were expelled from Prizren and the surrounding villages live in this area.
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Dr. Vuko Antonijevic, a physician at the hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica and the coordinator of the Serb National Council, is one of the three representatives of Serbs on the newly founded Transitional Council for Kosovska Mitrovica County. Besides him, members of the body which will be working under the supervision of Sir Martin Garrod, the administrator of the International Community for this region, are Oliver Ivanovic, and mother Makarija [ a Serb Orthodox nun]. Roma, Turks, and Bosniaks have one representative each on the Council, while ethnic Albanians have four representatives.
"The Council was formed a few days ago and hasn't yet started with work. Due to a light heart attack suffered by Sir Martin Garrod, the first session was chaired by his deputy Mary Firt. It has been agreed that the Council will reach all decision by consensus and will have an advisory role. It shall form six committees: for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, health, education, judiciary, city services and local government. Every side will put forward its candidates for the committees. The committees should establish conditions for normal life and work in the mentioned fields," explains Dr. Vuko Antonijevic.
According to Dr. Antonijevic, Albanians have already tried to obstruct the work of the Council by accusing Serbs, and even mother Makarija, for crimes. Dr. Antonijevic refuted information carried by some media that Dr. Sulejman Ugljanin [a Bosniak politician from the nearby region of Raska or Sandzak who advocates, among other, secession of the region from Serbia and Montenegro] will be one of the Council members.
"Dr. Ugljanin was initially, when the Council was formed, one of its members, t his deputy Omer Omeragic showed up at the first meeting and he will in the future represent interests of Muslims," says Dr. Antonijevic.
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Albanian extremists and terrorists from Kosovska Mitrovica want to cross at any cost into the northern part of the city, which is predominantly Serb.
On Tuesday, after 9p.m., an organized group of Albanian terrorists fired from the southern district of the city three missiles at the square on the northern bank of the Ibar river, where every evening several hundreds of citizens of Mitrovica gather, including many children.
One missile hit the apartment building above the cafe "Dolce Vita", the second destroyed a balcony on the fourth floor of the building, while the third one targeted KFOR soldiers who patrol every evening near the bridge and smashed the shop windows on the "Lux" supermarket. [Later a KFOR patrol confiscated two shoulder-held rocket launchers in the southern district of the city.]
Fortunately, no one was hurt in this disgusting attack. Several persons suffered slight injuries in the panic which ensued after the explosions. After a brief panic about 2,000 Serbs spontaneously gathered at the square, carrying a Serb flag, praising Serbia and shouting "We are staying here".
French KFOR troops blocked both sides of the bridge with armored troop carriers, although there were no incidents. Afraid of Serb revenge attacks, which did not materialize, several Albanian families crossed to the southern part of the city escorted by KFOR. Most of the Albanians who live in the northern district of the city remained in their homes.
About 10p.m., an unknown attacker [an Albanian] shot at and wounded Sasa Denkovic (22) from a handgun. He was transferred to the Mitrovica hospital and his life is not in danger.
[Another mortar attack from the direction of the Sport Center in the south district of the city destroyed an Albanian owned apartment at 3 Vlada Cetkovic St.]
Spontaneously gathered Serbs remained on the bridge until late at night, and it was decided to freeze all negotiations about the solution of numerous problems because of this criminal attack.
"We have fully given up violent methods, but in this situation we do not want to negotiate with those who are shooting at us," said Oliver Ivanovic, one of the leaders of the Serb National Council. ["Attacks of Albanian terrorists are only raising tensions in Kosovska Mitrovica, which is not in anyone's interest. Besides Serbs, the inhabitants of the northern district of the city include Albanians, Turks, Roma, and Muslims, and all of them condemn terrorist provocations. As long as there are attacks on the northern district of the city, there can be no mass crossings of Albanians to the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica," said Oliver Ivanovic for 'Blic'.]
The following morning in Kosovska Mitrovica was quiet. Only the damage on the building standing next to the bridge indicated about the Tuesday night attack.
(Note: parts of an article on the same topic written by Z. Vlaskalic and published in Blic on August 12 1999 were included in thi above translation between square brackets.)