Kidnappers Explained to Soldiers that They would be Exchanged for a KLA Member

by Katerina BLAZEVSKA

Dnevnik, Skopje, Macedonia, April 14 2000

Four Macedonian border guards confirmed that they were "exchanged for a KLA member", Dnevnik has learned from sources which had direct contact with the soldiers and their parents, respectively. According to the soldiers, the ambush was set up professionally. They were first stopped by one parson, who ordered them to stop and warned them that they would be in trouble if they used their weapons. Immediately afterwards, two more persons showed up and repeated the same, and a few seconds later a "horseshoe" made up of about 40 people was set up around the soldiers. After being disarmed, the Macedonian border guards were taken on a tractor in "unknown direction". According to statements by two border guards, they were taken to a restaurant, where "kidnappers treated [them] well". It is assumed that they were temporarily held in the restaurant "Drenica" in Vitina, owned by Xhavid Hasani. There, it was explained to them that everything would be fine, that they would be kept for a short time, since it had already been agreed to exchange them for a KLA member. "The kidnappers" emphasized that there was nothing to be afraid of, since the exchange had received a "blessing" of a high ranking Macedonian politician.

After a while, a signal was received that the business had been successfully completed, and the four border guards were "dumped" a kilometer from the border and had to proceed on foot. Previously, they were instructed by "kidnappers" which path to take to the border; the "kidnappers" pointed out the spots at which there were mine fields on both sides of the "path".

However, despite the instructions, fire was opened on the Macedonian soldiers during the last kilometer of their journey to the border. They think that they were shot at by small groups of the former KLA which fully control that region, using the absence of KFOR.

We learned that the four soldiers were strictly forbidden to speak publicly about the event. Sources from the Ministry of Defense claim that the soldiers will be "trained" to give a version which will be served to them by a "political center". Apparently this version will be professionally prepared and should exclude the exchange as the main reason for the abduction of the soldiers. Thereby, "the case Hasani" should be isolated as an independent case, exclusively of "legal and judicial" nature. Because of that scenario, the soldiers were well protected from "external influences". One of them was even under protection of "civilians" arranged by a vice-president of a political party. His "rest" was interrupted yesterday when he was taken by the Military Police to "isolation" in Skopje. According to unconfirmed information it is possible that the four soldiers will soon be released from serving the rest of their mandatory military service.

In the meantime, the competent institutions continue to refuse to say anything about this scandalous exchange. State Public Prosecutor Stavre Dzikov has been daily seeking an official report from the Ministry of Defense regarding the kidnapping of Macedonian soldiers. Well informed sources within the Ministry of Defense claim that the report about the kidnapping of the soldiers cannot provide necessary answers, since the kidnapping is only a consequence of a political agreement regarding the exchange of Hasani, which was made elsewhere, outside the Ministry of Defense and at a high political level.

Translated on April 20 2000; with assistance of D.Nikolovska